Ami the Goddess
by Shritistrang
Summary: Crystal Tokyo lasts forever... but not its rulers. After becoming immortals, Usagi and her Senshi are receiving the offer of becoming gods on a magical world called Aurius. And now Ami is being invited to have a glimpse at this new future...
1. Son of Mercury

When Ami Mizuno came home, she was tired and exhausted.

Not only had today's exam be especially difficult, even for her genius-schoolgirl brain, but she also had volunteered to give younger students private lessons in the evening. And to top all of that, Artemis had given a Senshi emergency call because he had seen some unusual light hovering above Minako's house, but when the Senshi arrived, it was gone. Ami's computer hadn't been able to track even the slightest unusual energy, and Luna assumed that it had all been a childish prank of Artemis, no matter how much he swore that he had seen it. When asking Minako, the Senshi of Venus meekly admitted that she had been sleeping.

And after all that, Ami was looking forward to a nice soak in a warm bubble bath, followed by a good night's rest in her comfortable bed...

She walked past her mother, who was watching a thrilling late-night movie on TV.

"Did you have a hard day, dear?" Dr. Mizuno asked her daughter with concern.

"I'm gonna be fine, Mom..." Ami mumbled. "Just don't expect me to come down until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning."

"Okay... sleep tight, then."

Ami muttered something unintelligible, and Mizuno Sr. shook her head with a sigh while watching her shuffle upstairs.

'She's really straining herself with all that learning,' she thought. 'I know it's not easy, I took that path myself... but still, I hope she doesn't overstrain herself...'

In her room, Ami threw her school bag in one corner and plopped down on her bed. She was so tired that she didn't even know if she had the strength left to take a bath, or even to take off her sweaty clothes.

When she saw a soft light coming from her left, she wearily turned her head.

A young boy of perhaps 14 years was sitting on her bed, his hair the same azure blue as her own. He was dressed in some sort of pale blue tunic, with a golden trim at its edges. A white cape was hanging from his shoulders, and a golden circlet was on his head. He also wore a pair of archaic boots with leather straps on his feet. His whole appearance was illuminated by a soft, blue aura of light that surrounded his body. He sat there, on her blanket, cross-legged, as if his presence was the most natural thing in the world.

He smiled down at her.

"Hello, Mother!" he said.

Ami blinked. Then she blinked again. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she blinked some more.

"I apologize for intruding at such a late hour," the youngster continued. "But I know that we had to meet at this point in time."

Still dazzled, Ami managed to blurt out a short "Why?"

He smirked. "Because you told me you remember it to be this day, this time... or rather, you will tell me. Depends on how you look at it."

Trying to get a clear head, Ami slowly sat up and shook her head. "So... you're like Chibiusa? From the future?" Knowing that she would have a son was somehow a nice thought...

"Chibi... oh, I see! You mean Auntie Usa! Well, sort of. But I'm from a point in the future much, much later than Queen Serenity's reign."

That caught her attention. "But... isn't Usagi's... I mean, Queen Serenity's reign supposed to last forever?"

He sighed. "I see there's much I have to tell you. But first... I'd like to introduce myself. I am Nandus of Mercury!" He grinned. "Kind of weird to introduce yourself to your mother... even if you are a teenage version of her..."

Ami noticed how good-looking Nandus was, even at such a young age. A feeling of pride spread through her heart. She might not have given birth to him yet, but she somehow just KNEW that he was her future son. He also looked a lot like her.

"So... that means you are the prince of Mercury... or will be? Will the planets be populated in the far future? And if Queen serenity doesn't rule over Crystal Tokyo anymore, then who..."

She had to stop herself at that point, because a great yawn escaped her lips. "Excuse me..." she muttered with a blush. "I didn't expect any visitors, and I'm pretty tired..."

"No problem!" Nandus said. He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, all of Ami's weariness just disappeared. She felt like she just had a good night's rest, a refreshing shower and a strengthening breakfast... even though it was still late in the evening.

She was astonished. "How did you do that?" she wondered.

Nandus grinned. "Oh, that was nothing! Just a little demonstration of a godling's powers."

Ami wondered if she had heard him correct. "Godling?"

"Well, yeah, that's what we call demigods, in our time... and demigods, just in case you ask, are the children of the true gods."

Ami let out a startled gasp, which turned into a frightened yelp. "G-GODS?" She quickly covered her mouth with her hands.

"Ami-chan, is everything all right?" her mother asked. Before Ami could gather herself, she heard her coming upstairs.

Dr. Mizuno opened her daughter's door. "Ami, I heard your voice downstairs, that's kinda unusual. What's the matter, honey?"

Ami stared at the huge, stuffed bear that was sitting where, moments ago, her supposed son of the future had been sitting. Curiously enough, it had a short mop of ocean-blue hair...

"I'm... fine, Mom," she finally said. "I just lost my balance and nearly slid off my bed, that's all."

"Oh, I see!" Her mother snickered. "Maybe you should go to bed instead of doing evening aerobic. Good night!"

"Um... good night, Mom!"

Before her mother closed the door, she threw a look at the stuffed bear that was sitting next to her daughter and frowned. 'Strange, I don't remember Ami having such a teddy bear...' she thought, before closing the door and heading back downstairs.

The moment the door got closed, the teddy bear turned back into Nandus, who gave his teenage mother a wink.

"How... how did you...?" she stuttered.

"I told you, I'm a godling. Meaning, my parent is a divine being."

"A... a god..." Ami murmured, remembering the reason for her startled gasp. For a moment, she couldn't quite believe his words... but then again, what he just did was more than just normal magic... wasn't it?

She quickly took her Mercury Computer out of her school bag and scanned the whole area surrounding her bed.

"That's astounding..." she whispered. "No anomalies, no energies left behind... and I also can't find any magical energies within your body either. But... I saw what you did with my own eyes. So how...?"

"That's partly my fault," Nandus explained. "I have put a suppression field around my body, that's why you can't detect any of my powers. Before I left, you told me to do it."

"But why?" Ami asked.

"You said your old Mercury Computer wouldn't be able to measure the amount of power a godling radiates," he said. "In the worst case, it would blow up."

Ami nearly swooned. If even Nandus had such amounts of energy in his body, how much power would his parents have?

Wait a minute...

His parents?

"N-nandus..." Ami stuttered. "When you said that your parent is a god... did you mean... that in the far future, I... I will marry a... a GOD??"

Nandus shook his head. "No, that's not what I was implying."

Ami felt a bit relieved by now. "Oh, okay... but what did you mean, then?"

"I meant that in the future, approximately 4000 years from now... you will be a goddess."

Silence.

Then an amused snicker. "Very funny..."

Nandus frowned. "Mother, I assure you, I am certainly not joking..."

"Oh, come on! Did I raise you to be such a prankster? I don't think so! Was it Chibiusa's influence? Or maybe Minako? Yeah, that must be it! Oh boy, that's too funny... I can imagine it: 'Kneel down, mortals! You are in the presence of the Goddess Ami! Worship me! Where are my sacrifices?'

Nandus blushed. "Please, mother... you shouldn't joke about that. Besides, you never demanded any sacrifices... only that your priests gather lore in your name..."

Ami giggled. "Oh, stop that! Usagi becoming queen was one thing, and it was already unbelievable enough. But don't you think the other Senshi would be envious if I would become a goddess, and they will simply stay a queen's elite guard?"

"I already told you..." Nandus muttered. "Crystal Tokyo will have a new ruler... besides, the other Senshi will become goddesses as well..."

Ami laughed out so loud that Nandus quickly blocked the sound of her voice from leaving this room. "Oh, that's rich! Minako, a goddess? The goddess of flirtation? The goddess of volleyball? And Rei is a Shinto priestess already. Imagine, a goddess worshipping other gods..."

"MOTHER!" Nandus shouted as he jumped to his feet. The volume of his voice surpassed even Ami's laughter, and they were both shocked by his sudden yell that they didn't say anything for a while.

Ashamed of his outburst, Nandus sat down again and blushed. "F-forgive me, Mother..." he stammered. "That won't happen again, I promise."

"You were serious about that, weren't you?" Ami asked him in a quiet voice. He nodded.

She shook her head. "But... but Nandus, that can't be true! Sailor Pluto, the guardian of time, told us herself, that Crystal Tokyo..."

"Crystal Tokyo still exists," Nandus said. "It just has a new king and queen... appointed by Queen Serenity herself after she resigned."

Ami was astonished. Usagi... RESIGN?

"And... isn't it Small Lady Chibiusa Serenity?" Ami asked.

Nandus shook his head. "No, she came along with her mother when all of you left for the new world. The new rulers will be Queen Naru and King Umino of Earth."

Under normal circumstances, this would have caused Ami to have a another fit of laughter. But Nandus was now speaking in such a serious voice, she didn't feel like laughing anymore.

"Leave... Crystal Tokyo?" she asked. "Why? Where will we go? Why didn't Sailor Pluto tell us anything about this?"

"There... won't be a Sailor Pluto in my time," Nandus said. "See, after 50 years of peace, Crystal Tokyo was ripe for a change. Ever since you became Senshi, you have been immortal... not completely immortal, mind you. You just won't die of old age... and your body will stop aging once it has reached a certain point..."

"I already know all of that," Ami remarked. "Setsuna told us and..."

"But... she didn't tell you this: When an immortal human, such as you, keeps on living for more than 2000 years... they will truly become immortal. Meaning, your body can't be pierced, slain, burnt, smashed or torn apart. You can't drown or suffocate. You survive any fall from any height. You are, truly, immortal. And that's just what gods are: Immortals!"

"That... that can't be all there is to it," Ami protested. "If gods exist, they must have powers beyond human imagination. The only powers we ever had were our Senshi magics, and the power of the Silver Crystal..."

"The Silver Crystal was what made you immortal," Nandus explained. "But its powers were just a fragment of what you all are capable of right now. Mind that not all Immortals are powerful, but most of them, especially if they could use powerful magic in their human lives, will develop a godly essence within their bodies, allowing them to do anything possible... anything that falls under their own aspects, that is."

"Aspects?" Ami asked. "What is that?"

"Basically, it is what you are a goddess of. You, for example, are the Goddess of Magic, of Science and of Knowledge. That's three aspects at once."

Another moment of silence.

"You still haven't told me anything about this new 'world' you mentioned," Ami reminded the young godling.

"That's right," Nandus nodded. "I was getting to that. You see, after you ascended to godhood, you were contacted by the higher god of a new world... a world that was in the need of gods. The humans and other creatures living on that world had nobody who could lead them, nobody who could turn their world in a place as wonderful as Crystal Tokyo. After making sure that Crystal Tokyo was in good, capable hands, Serenity - Aunt Usagi - agreed. She didn't speak for her Senshi, though, but since neither of you could imagine an immortal life without her, you all agreed as well. And thus, you became the new gods of Aurius..."

Ami blinked. "Aurius..."

"The name of the new world. It needed twelve gods to protect its human inhabitants, and you, along with most of the former Senshi, became part of that new pantheon."

Ami didn't doubt his words any longer. She realized that he was using his powers to convince her, but it was no brainwashing. It was the simple truth.

"Why... why did you come, then?" she asked him softly. "Why tell me all of this? Wouldn't it mess with the timeline if I knew of such a... such a profound truth?"

Nandus smiled. "We don't mess with the timeline... because we know it will happen like this. No matter if we told you or not. If you tell anybody else is up to you..."

"And what about Setsuna?" Ami asked.

The very same second she asked that, the Senshi of Time appeared in her room, in her fuku, carrying the Garnet Rod.

"Ami!" she gasped. "I've just felt that something is about to change the timelines immensely, and that the source of this change is in your..." She gasped when she saw the blue-haired boy sitting on Ami's bed. "Who... who is that?"

Ami smiled. "Setsuna, meet my future son, Nandus."

Nandus nodded. "It's an honor, Sailor Pluto!"

"Th-that can't be!" Pluto stuttered. "I've never seen any past where you will have any children. Ami, clearly this is an impostor. Stand back, and I will..."

A sudden flash of light, and Setsuna the Senshi was no more. Instead, Ami saw Setsuna the hamster, running around in a running wheel in her cage, which strangely looked like it was made out of her Garnet Rod.

"Don't worry, she won't stay like this for long," Nandus chuckled. "I just want to make sure that she doesn't cause any unnecessary trouble. She can't predict your future as gods, since her current powers are not sufficient to grasp the true concept of mortality. Same goes for the Gates of Time... she can use them to see anything that will happen in the future... but only until shortly before you ascend to your new pantheon. In her eyes, the image of an immortal Queen Serenity goes off into the far, distant future, until the end of times... but that's nonsense, of course! Everyone know that anything must come to an end."

"Will she remember any of this?" Ami asked as she watched how the adorable, green-furred, little hamster was running around in her wheel.

"She will," Nandus nodded. "But she won't be able to tell anyone. I think I will give her a back story for why you'll be gone... she will tell the other Senshi that you need some vacation on your own." He knelt down in front of the Garnet Hamster Cage and raised his finger. A soft glow surrounded both its tip and Setsuna-hamster, then it was gone.

"Wait a minute..." Ami protested. "Go where? I can't just go! I have exams... and the Senshi need me. No matter what, I'm not a goddess yet. I have some duties here."

"You will only be gone for the weekend," Nandus smiled. "Even though you will stay in Alveran for a whole year."

"Alveran?" Ami wondered. "What's Alveran?"

"That is the citadel of the gods floating above Aurius. All of the twelve goddesses have their own palaces in Alveran. You will stay with us, of course."

"Us? Who is us? Who do you mean, Nandus?"

Nandus grinned. "And that brings me to the true reason of my visit: On behalf of my mother, I hereby invite you to stay with us in Alveran, to learn as much about our new world and our work as gods as you can. We want you to know all of this in advance... because, as mother told me: She remembers how she was being taught... by herself."

* * *

"So, are you ready to go?" Nandus asked her a short time later.

"I think I have everything," Ami said after closing her bag. She had packed some food, two books, a swiss army knife, her pencil case and a diary... there was no way that she would go on such an adventure without any meanings of noting her experiences down.

Nandus smiled. "That's just like you, always curious about new stuff..."

Ami frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He smirked. "Nothing, nothing... it's just that on my last birthday, you told me how similar we are to each other. And seeing you pack that diary reminded me of myself, on my first day of school..."

"You go to school?" Ami wondered.

"Of course... Alveran Academy, the school for all young godlings. One third of our time, we help our parents, one third, we study, and the other half, well... we are still young, so we need some free time, don't you agree?"

Ami smirked. She was young herself and knew how much she enjoyed her free time. "I guess you're right. Well, I guess I better inform my mother before we go..."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Nandus frowned. "She doesn't even know that you are a Senshi, right? What do you think she would do if she finds out that in the future, you will be a goddess? Do you think she would treat you the same as she normally would?"

"Of course!" Ami shouted, but then, realized that that wasn't quite right. She knew that Nandus was capable of convincing her mother of the truth... but how would her mother feel, knowing that one day, her daughter would have the power of a DEITY?

"She'll worry and wonder where I am," Ami finally spoke up.

Nandus smiled. "That's no problem. I will just convince her that you are on a vacation, the same story that Setsuna is going to tell your friends." He looked down at the little hamster in the cage. "As soon as we are gone, she will turn back, and your mother will believe that you are already on your train."

"Well, okay... but how are we going to travel? Are you opening some sort of portal? or do we have to crawl through a mirror or something like that?"

Nandus shrugged. "If you prefer such fancy tricks... but I could also bring you to Alveran in the blink of an eye."

"Um, okay, then do just that. I'm pretty new to this stuff, remember? It's just hard for me to grasp that all you have to do is to blink once and we are..."

She blinked when she realized that they weren't standing in her bedroom anymore. "...gone?" she finished her sentence. "Where... where are we?"

Nandus spread his arms. "Welcome! Welcome in Alveran, the citadel of the gods! And welcome in what will one day be your own palace: Ami's Labyrinth!"

Ami peered down. They were standing on a big, circular platform made of marble, which was floating high in the air above... well, the first word that came to Ami's mind was 'library', but that would be the understatement of the year.

This wasn't just ANY library, this was THE library... the embodiment of all scholarly dreams come true. The massive room they were standing in had no ceilings, and the walls were as far from each other as the eye could see. On one side, Ami couldn't even see a wall, that's how far the room was stretching out in that direction.

And as far as her eye could see, there were bookshelves. A labyrinth of bookshelves, filled with books of all kinds, big books, small books, old books, new books, dictionaries, science books, encyclopedias, cookbooks, children's books, magazines of all kinds, stacks of ancient scrolls, stone tablets with gravures on their surfaces, and much, much more. It was making Ami's head spin.

Nandus stepped up next to her. "Well, impressed?"

"That's... that's incredible!" she blurted out. "Where... where do all these books come from?"

"There are all the books that the inhabitants of Aurius have written in their lifetimes... and I mean all of them! There's no end to them, literally. Every day, dozens of new books and scripts appear in our shelves, every time an author finishes a book. You see, this is truly a scholar's heaven... the studies will never end."

"But... but you haven't read all of them yet... have you?" Ami asked her future son in bewilderment.

"I haven't... but my mother has," he grinned. "You have to remember that she is a goddess, and therefore, omnipotent. It is no problem for her to read several books at once, or to finish a book within one second. Although she admits that she prefers the old-fashioned way of reading, one page after the other. But studying the books she already knows is still fun to her, and when a new book appears in our library, she sometimes reads it the normal way, too."

Ami looked down at the library again. "And what are those gleaming lights that are floating around the shelves?" she asked.

"Those are souls," Nandus explained.

"Souls...?"

"Yes, the souls of those who have chosen you as their patron deity. Not just your priests and scholars, but everyone who has an inquiring mind and who is always eager to learn more. And naturally, a human's life will never be enough to learn all of this world's secrets. Therefore, if they had been loyal servants of your cause, they will be rewarded... their souls will ascend into this paradise, your paradise: Ami's Labyrinth! And they will spend the rest of eternity in here, studying as much as they want."

"Paradise?" Ami murmured.

"That's right," he nodded. "Almost all of the Twelve have their own paradise in which their followers will stay after death."

"So, there is no such thing as reincarnation on this world?" Ami wondered.

"Sure there is," Nandus said. "Whenever the Goddess of Youth, Renewal and Reincarnation deems someone as worthy, and the situation as appropriate, she will allow a soul to be reborn in a new body... although she will have to clear it with the Goddess of Death first."

"Who... who are they?" Ami asked. "The Goddesses of Renewal, and Death, I mean?"

Nandus smiled. "Why, you know them pretty well. The Goddess of Death is Hotaru, and the Goddess of Renewal is Usa, better known to you as Chibiusa."

Ami shook her head. Although it made sense that those two would work hand in hand...

"And where am I... I mean, where is your mother?"

"You will meet her," Nandus said. "She just wanted you to see this first, before you talk to her." He gestured over to another floating platform (which Ami was sure hadn't been there just a second ago). On it, she could see a round, ornate table with a small pile of books on it. On a likewise ornate chair, a beautiful woman with long, blue hair was sitting. She was clad in a long, sleeveless dress and had golden bracelets on her wrists. She was reading a book that was lying in front of her. Ami had no doubt about it: This was her future self.

The platform they were standing on floated closer to the other one, then Nandus jumped over and helped Ami across.

The goddess welcomed them with a smile. Ami suddenly realized that there was a small snake with blue scales lying on the table, next to the book. It looked like it was eyeing her curiously.

Nandus gave his mother a short bow. "Mother, I have returned!"

"Welcome back, Nandus! I knew I could count on you." She then turned to face her younger self, who was suddenly very nervous.

"I welcome you, Ami Mizuno, my younger self. Many years have passed since I have been the mortal that is now standing in front of me... and I must say, I still have many fonds memories of that time. I am honored by your visit."

"Oh n-no, the honor is all mine, Your, um... Your... Highness?"

The goddess chuckled. "Please, just call me Ami-sama, that's what everyone does... except for my children, of course. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all, Ami-sama!" Ami quickly said.

"And I also hope you don't mind if from now on, we all will call you Ami-chan... it will help to differ you from me."

"Th-that's all right," Ami-chan said.

"Well then," Ami-sama went on. "I guess Nandus has already shown you my library... how do you like it?"

"Oh, it's impressive, really! I've never seen such an amazing collection of books before..."

Ami-sama smiled. "I'm glad you like it. We are rather proud of it. If you like, you can read a few of the books... but not right now. Now, Nandus already told you the reason why you are here, didn't he?"

"Y-yes, he said... he said that you decided to teach me about this world and your role as deities," Ami-chan said.

"That's right," Ami-sama nodded. "I don't know how wise it would be to already tell Usagi what will become of her kingdom... and Setsuna, well, she tends to be rather... impulsive at times. I know I can trust my friends, but if there is one person I trust the most, it is myself. That is why I've decided to bring you to the future, to Alveran, so you can learn and prepare yourself for your future role. If you want to tell your friends later on is up to you... but I know I will make the right decision. I already made it, after all."

"Th-thanks, I am honored by your faith in me."

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a strange bird. It almost looked like a raven, but its feathers were lavender-colored, and its beak a dark purple. It fluttered above the platform hesitantly, and it seemed to Ami as if it didn't quite want to disturb the conversation.

Ami-sama smiled up at the bird. "It's all right, come on down, Marbo-chan."

The raven nodded and landed next to them. In a flash, it transformed into a pretty girl that looked like she was the same age as Nandus. Her hair was the same color as the raven's feathers had been. She was wearing a violet toga and a pair of sandals.

The girl bowed in front of the goddess. "Please forgive me my intrusion, Ami-sama, but I have an important message from my mother."

Ami-sama smiled. "It's all right, Marbo-chan! I was just talking to my son, and to my younger self from the past. Ami-chan, this is Marbo, the daughter of Hotaru. It is her duty to accompany the souls of the dead to the afterlife in Alveran."

Marbo bowed again, this time in Ami-chan's direction. "Very nice to meet you!"

"Oh, l-likewise," Ami-chan stammered, still a bit overwhelmed by the presence of three deities at once.

Marbo then turned to Nandus and waved at him. "Hi, Nandus!" she smiled.

Nandus blushed and waved back. "H-hello, Marbo-chan..." he stuttered.

"What message does your mother have?" Ami-sama asked.

"Well, she wanted me to inform you that one of your higher priests has died this morning. His soul will arrive pretty soon."

"Ah yes, Nicodemus, I remember... his life has been a good one, and he's been one of my most loyal servants. I shouldn't keep him waiting. Thank you for reminding me, Marbo-chan! Please tell him to wait for me at the entrance of the library. And give your mother my regards."

Marbo bowed again. "Certainly, Ami-sama! Have a nice day!" Again, she turned to Nandus and smiled at him. "Bye, Nandus! See ya tomorrow!"

"Um, yeah, bye..." Nandus muttered.

Ami watched how the girl transformed back into a raven and flew away. She then looked at Nandus, who still had a big blush on his face. She smiled. "You like her, don't you?"

"Wh-why would you say such a thing?" Nandus stuttered.

Ami-sama giggled. "Nandus and Marbo have been friends ever since they began to attend Alveran Academy, but I can't say for sure if she knows of the little crush my son has on her..."

"M-mother!" Nandus protested, now as red as a tomato. The younger and the older Mizuno looked at each other and giggled.

"Well, I think that's enough for now," Ami-sama then said. "Nandus, I'd like you to lead Ami-chan around, show her everything and introduce her to the other gods. I'd love to chat a bit more with you, but unfortunately, duty calls. We'll see each other at dinner, Ami-chan."

Ami and Nandus bowed, then climbed back on their own little platform, which then floated away.

Ami-sama looked after them for a while. The blue snake lying next to her raised its head and said: "I still think it was risky bringing her here."

Ami-sama smiled down at the snake. "I know what I'm doing, dear!"

* * *

Ami was still flustered when they were slowly floating through a long corridor with an extremely high ceiling. Moving pictures of unknown persons, fantastic creatures and gorgeous landscapes were hanging at the walls, and golden sunlight was shining through silken curtains that were hanging in front of huge windows.

Nandus looked at her for a while, then he snapped his fingers. From one moment to the other, she wasn't nervous anymore.

She sighed. "Thanks, Nandus. I think I was ready to have a nervous breakdown. All of this is just so amazing... and to think that the other Senshi have kids on their own..."

"Not all of them," Nandus explained. "But a few of them have, yes. Marbo is just one of our little clique, just wait until you meet my other friends. They're nice guys, all of them. Kor and Swafnir, Ifirn and Mokosha..."

"Who are their parents?" Ami wondered.

"Well, Kor and Swafnir are brothers... their parents are Aunt Haruka and Aunt Michiru."

"You mean... they adopted them?" Ami wondered.

Nandus smirked. "You're once again forgetting that they are goddesses. They can have children with each other even if they are female. Swafnir is a pretty cool guy, my best friend, actually. He's a bit on the pudgy side, but then again, his secondary form IS a whale. Kor is the older brother... he can be a bit rude at times, but we all know that he's not as tough as he wants to make others believe. Ifirn and Mokosha are Marbo's friends, and for godlings, they tend to act just like normal school girls." He snickered. "But who am I to talk? I guess the guys and I aren't that different from any other bunch of high school boys..."

Ami snickered as well. It surprised her to see how... human the gods were acting. But maybe that was quite natural, after all, Ami-sama and her friends have been human once...

They reached an intersection, and the floating platform stopped. In front of them, Ami could see a direction sign, with numerous places written on it.

She read:

'Haruka's Halls of Honor'

'Michiru's Ocean of Tranquility'

'Rei's Forge of Fire'

'Kasumi's Asylum of Hospitality'

'Makoto's Arboretum of Fertility'

'Minako's Tent of Love'

and several more.

Nandus smiled. "Well, where do you want to go first?


	2. It's Hammer Time

Ami frowned. "A forge? Doesn't really seem like Rei's style..."

"It's funny..." Nandus commented. "But I only knew Rei to be a blacksmith."

Ami stared at him. "Rei? As in, Rei Hino? Sailor Mars? A BLACKSMITH? How did THAT happen?"

"Well, Mom used to tell me that story several times when I was a little kid... you know, Rei never knew that being the goddess of fire included being the goddess of the forge. At first, she was outraged, and asked Haruka if she wanted to take her job instead. After all, she was the one who liked to deal with weapons and such. Haruka would have gladly accepted... but she already had learned that being the Goddess of Duels and honorable battles also included being the Goddess of Storms... and given her aspect of air, it was quite fitting for her. On top of that, she would have to work hand in hand with the Goddess of the Sea... which, naturally, was Michiru. So in the end, Makoto sold her lightning aspect to Haruka, while Haruka offered her earth aspect to Rei, so she could better take care of all the volcanoes on Aurius. And finally, Rei reluctantly accepted her new job as the blacksmith of the gods. And over the years, she even learned to love it. And now she is the Goddess of Fire, of the Mountains and Craftworks. She can still be pretty spiritual at times, but after learning that gods have been mortal beings once, she pretty much abandoned being a Shinto priestess... to be honest, I've never learned anything about that religion, except that Rei's grandfather was a priest..."

Ami's head was spinning once again. "You can just sell your aspect?" she wondered.

Nandus nodded. "Yes, and the most profit, of course, goes to the Goddess of Commerce and Thieves..."

"And that would be...?"

"Nabiki."

"I've never heard of someone with that name before. She certainly was no Senshi."

"No, she was one of the other girls that have been chosen to fill in the positions of the Twelve Goddesses. Her sister Kasumi is the Goddess of Homes, of Hospitality and of Marriage."

"Marriage?" Ami wondered. "I thought Minako was the Goddess of Love..."

"True, Minako and Kasumi often work together hand in hand. But while Minako concentrates on the spiritual love, the passion and the fondness the beloved ones feel to each other, Kasumi takes care of what happens to them after they are married.

"I have the feeling this is much more complex than I originally thought..." Ami sighed. "Very well, let's just go and visit Rei... maybe that will give me an idea how all of this is working..."

Nandus nodded. "Yes, of course!"

Their platform floated to the left, and they floated along another corridor, but this one had wide, ornate windows that had no glass and allowed Ami to see the night sky with the stars and the bright moon.

Seeing the moon made her wonder what kind of role Usagi had taken. naturally, she believed that she had to be the Goddess of the Moon, but after what she heard of Rei, she wasn't too sure.

She saw how Nandus watched the moon with an almost sad expression. He sighed deeply and murmured something she did not understand.

If Nandus had talked a bit louder, she definitely would have been surprised, since he was murmuring:

"Your moon is lovely tonight... sister."

* * *

Even before they reached their destination, Ami could feel the heat coming from Rei's Forge. The walls weren't made of marble anymore, but of solid steel, and the loud hammer noises were echoing throughout the castle.

Ami coughed when they were entering a huge doorway from which an enormous plume of steam was coming. The heat made her sweat, and she barely could see anything through the steam.

Nandus made a short gesture, and a sudden gust of wind drove the steam clouds apart. And now Rei could see the enormous forge deep below her...

A basin as huge as five swimming pools was filled with molten metal. Giant jars of stone or clay were hovering above the basin, poring even more of the hot liquid inside. Enormous machines were standing next to the pool, and Ami couldn't even guess what they were for. Everywhere, she could see big, muscular workers that were only dressed in leathery loincloths. They were at least thrice as big as a human being. When one of them turned around to take a look at their hovering platform, Ami was shocked to see that he had only one eye.

"Th-that's a cyclops," she stuttered.

Nandus nodded. "Yes, they are the best blacksmiths on Aurius, except for Rei herself, and the best of them work here, in her forge, after their death. We also have many dwarves and humans in here, but they work in the smaller forge, on the lower level. In here, Rei and the cyclops are working on the very best masterpieces. Most of them normally take at least ten years to finish. But if she finishes one of her creations, she will bring it down to Aurius, as an idea she will put into the head of a brilliant craftsman. And this is how the Aurians have invented many, important things like the anvil, the furnace and the steam engine."

"And where is Rei?" Ami yelled, because the noise was getting even louder while they were flying past the working cyclops.

Nandus gestured over to the edge of the forge, where a gigantic figure was standing, dwarfing even the herculean figures of the cyclops. Ami was flabbergasted... Rei was at least as big as Tokyo Tower. She was lifting a hammer whose head had the measures of a one-family house, raised it high above her head and slammed it down on a piece of metal that was lying on the huge anvil in front of her. The only reason why Ami's eardrums weren't damaged by now was that Nandus had created a protection field that isolated them from the heat, the smoke and the loud noise.

"She... she seems busy," Ami shouted.

"Hey, she's been working on that stuff for three years now. I think she wouldn't mind taking a little break. I'm gonna call her..."

"Do you think she'll even notice us?" Ami asked.

"No problem!" Nandus grinned and snapped his fingers. A giant signpost made of steel appeared in the air, directly in front of the giantess. Rei lowered her hammer in confusion and looked around, until she saw the little platform on which Ami and Nandus were standing.

She grinned. "NANDUS!" she said in a booming voice that was appropriate to her size. "HOW NICE OF YOU TO VISIT! WHO'S YOUR FRIEND?"

"Don't tell me you don't recognize my mother," Nandus chuckled. He was talking in the same volume as previously, and yet, Rei still seemed to understand him just fine. "But it's her younger self from the past. I'm just showing her Alveran."

"WELL, THAT IS CERTAINLY A SURPRISE!" Rei grinned. "AMI, BACK WHEN SHE WAS STILL A LITTLE BOOKWORM... BUT THEN AGAIN, SHE'S STILL ONE EVEN TODAY, RIGHT?" She laughed. "BUT WAIT A MINUTE, I GUESS I SHOULD COME DOWN SO WE CAN TALK BETTER..."

She put down her hammer next to the anvil and closed her eyes. In no time, she had shrunk down to the size of a regular human and was standing on the platform, next to Ami. The Goddess of Fire opened her eyes again and smiled at the visitor from the past.

"Ami!" she said and gave her friend's younger self a massive hug. "Good to see you! My, seeing you like this sure does bring back memories."

"N-nice to see you too, Rei," Ami said. She gave the goddess a closer look. Rei was not only older, but also more muscular than before. She was wearing clothes of leather, including a heavy leather apron. Around her waist, there was a thick belt with numerous tools hanging down from it. Her long, raven-black hair was tied up in a ponytail.

"So, Nandus is showing you around, eh? Well then, how do you like my little workshop?"

Ami looked around. "Um, it certainly is... big!" She smiled weakly.

"It sure is," Rei nodded proudly. "It makes working with those cyclops much more interesting. But, as I always told your older self: It's not the size of the hammer, it's the way you swing it!" She grinned.

Ami chuckled. "Good to see you didn't lose your humor after 4000 years."

"Rei, why don't you show her Grindar?"

"Good idea," Rei said, and they floated closer to the colossal hammer that was leaning against the even bigger anvil. "Look, this is it, my very first creation at this forge: My hammer, Grindar!"

Ami blinked. "Grindar?"

"Yup, I named it after seeing how easily I can grind even mountains with that thing. After all, these earthquakes have to come from somewhere."

"You... you deliberately cause earthquakes with that thing?" Ami gasped.

"Of course I do. I thought better of you, Ames. After all, earthquakes are a part of nature. And they aren't just forces of destruction, they have a purpose. And of course I always tell my priests when I'm planning the next quake, so they'll have time enough to evacuate the area."

"Nandus... already told me you made a deal with Haruka," Ami said. "But you're still the Goddess of Fire as well?"

"Of course I am," Rei nodded. "After all, where does the heat come from, if not from the center of the earth? And dealing with volcanoes is much easier when you can also control the earth."

Ami had more questions, but the noise and the heat were making her woozy. Not even Nandus' isolation field was enough to keep the loud racket of the hammers and machines on a bearable level.

Nandus noticed this and said: "I think we'll leave you now, Rei. We still have so much more to see. After all, we don't want to distract you from your work."

"So much to do," Rei chuckled. "Where to begin? But you are always welcome to visit me in my free time. You know the work schedule of my forge, don't you, Nandus?"

"Yeah, I know, don't worry! See you later, Rei!"

"Later, kiddo!" Rei said as she stepped off the platform and grew in size again. "AND IT WAS NICE TO MEET YOU, AMI-CHAN! BYE!"

"Um... bye, Rei!" Ami said and waved. "And, um... good luck with your current project.

"HEY, THANKS!" the giantess grinned and picked up her hammer. Then she went back to work and slammed Grindar down as if she wanted to pulverize the piece of metal lying on her anvil.

Ami fanned her face as they left the forge. "Well, she certainly has changed..."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet," Nandus grinned. "This was just the beginning of the tour."

While they were approaching the last intersection of the corridor, Ami had the strange feeling as if everything was getting colder by the second. But maybe those were just the aftereffects of the searing heat in the forge. But just a short time later, she was freezing.

"N-n-nandus, what is th-that?" she asked with clattering teeth.

"I think you are about to meet one of the other gods of Alveran," Nandus frowned. "She sometimes comes here because she has business with Rei... it's the Goddess of Ice and Snow, the Mistress of the Hunt, Lilith."

"L-lilith?" Ami wondered.

"Well, I heard her original name was Rei Ayanami, but since we already have a goddess called Rei, she decided to change her name. Don't be confused when we meet her. She's not quite the most social of persons..."

And when they came around the corner, Ami saw her, the goddess Lilith. She had a pale face, pale blue hair and a pair of eyes that seemed to pierce Ami's soul like a pair of icicles.

A blizzard of snowflakes was surrounding her, and the cold air that was swept in their direction made Ami shiver. She was clad in an outfit that looked like it was entirely made of leather and white fur. A long bow was strapped to her back, as well as a quiver with arrows.

"Godling Nandus," she said, and her voice was like the icy chill of winter. "Why aren't you studying for school?"

"Um, greetings, Lilith-sama... I am currently showing Ami-chan the citadel. She's a visitor from the past, the younger self of my mother and..."

Lilith stared at Ami, and the Senshi of Mercury had the feeling as if she would freeze to death under that stare.

"Um... how is Ifirn doing?" Nandus asked.

"My daughter is fine," Lilith stated. "Please excuse me, I have to talk to Goddess Rei..."

"Um, no problem..." Nandus muttered while he goddess slowly stepped past them, followed by the snow and the cold.

Ami was relieved when she walked around the corner and it got warmer. "Is sh-she always like this?" she wondered.

Nandus nodded. "Even back when she was still a normal girl. She was perfect for the job," he sighed. "Mother offered her ice aspect to Lilith as soon as she found out that she took the job of the winter goddess..."

"And her daughter... is in your class?" Ami asked.

"Yes, and Ifirn is so different from her mother. She's always nice, cheerful and polite. Quite often, the people don't pray to Lilith, but to her daughter, since they know she would listen to their pleas."

"But if Lilith is the winter goddess, so what could Ifirn do?" Ami wondered.

"Well... we all know that Lilith cares for her daughter, and quite often, listens to her. I believe Ifirn is the only one who truly understands Lilith..."

"That is so sad..." Ami murmured. "I wonder what happened to her that she's like this..."


	3. Here be Dragons

"So, where to next?" Nandus asked his guest.

"No matter where, but make sure that it isn't too hot OR too cold... and make it a calm, quiet place."

"Then I have the right thing for you," Nandus grinned. "Michiru's Ocean of Tranquility. And if we're lucky, you'll be able to meet my buddy Swafnir."

"Well, the sea sounds nice," Ami smiled. "Is there also a warm beach?"

"Anything the lady desires," Nandus winked while giving her a short bow. Ami giggled. The young godling seemed to get more comfortable in her presence. In the beginning, he always was a bit stiff and well-spoken, as if she was his actual mother. Well, in a way she was, but she wouldn't be a mother for several thousand years, so it's natural that she'd act differently towards him. Maybe now he saw her as the fellow teenager she was... even though she didn't know how many years a god's puberty lasts.

"Well, the entrance to her ocean is on the other side of the citadel... maybe it's best if we take the shortcut across the middle courtyard."

"It's your home, lead the way," Ami smiled.

Soon enough, their platform floated through a wide archway, which brought them into an ample courtyard, with a marvelous fountain in its middle. Magnificent trees, as big as redwoods, were growing in the rich soil between the paved footways, and golden lanterns were hanging in the air, casting a pleasant light at the nightly scene.

As calm as the courtyard may seem, it was a place of bustling activity. Floating lights, sprites with butterfly wings, cloaked figures and hunchbacked dwarves were lounging around, hastening from one end of the yard to another, chatted with each other excitedly or simply took a walk around the majestic trees.

"All those are either souls that are waiting to be accepted in one of the gods' paradises, or servants."

"Servants?" Ami wondered. "The gods need servants?"

"Not necessarily, but it's a bit easier to have someone who takes care of the most bothersome jobs around the citadel, such as weeding the garden, sweeping the corridors or cooking the meals... although the cooks have a free day when the goddesses Kasumi or Makoto find the time to cook. And that's always a reason to celebrate.

Ami smirked. "I always knew Mako-chan was a good cook. I take it the cyclopes in Rei's forge are servants as well?"

"Indeed, every goddess has her own servants for her own domain. My mother, for instance, has legions of archivists who take care of the library for her, sort the books, make sure that borrowed books are returned in time and, of course, dust the shelves."

"Must be hard work," Ami assumed.

"Not really, most of the servants love their profession. In addition, they are allowed to use supernatural powers to do their job. They are not as powerful as even a godling as myself, but it's enough for them to get their jobs done."

Suddenly, an enormous shadow fell upon the courtyard. Several of the smaller creatures on the ground scrambled away when they saw the huge, winged creature that was landing next to the fountain.

Ami boggled when she saw the giant dragon in front of her. The scales were mostly as dark as ebony, but blood red on its belly. The wings almost reached from one side of the courtyard to the other, and Ami was surprised that they didn't get entangled in the trees. With intelligent eyes, the creature looked at them.

And then it spoke in a familiar voice: "Well, if it isn't young Ami from the past! Your older self already told me you would be coming. Welcome to Alveran!"

"M-M-MAMORU??" Ami gasped.

The dragon smirked. "I knew you'd be surprised. You haven't told her about me and my fellow dragons yet, have you, Nandus?"

"No, sir, I plead guilty," Nandus chuckled. "I still wanted to tell her, but there were so many things I had to explain..."

"I understand," the black dragon nodded. "Well, now that I'm here, I guess I can take the time to explain it myself." He cleared his throat. "Well, you might have guessed it already, but the twelve gods of Alveran are all female. It's a rule that has always been followed. Still, there had to be some sort of position for me, I thought. And since I was an immortal, too, I received the offer to be one of the six High Dragons that protect Alveran. My powers are not quite as great as those of the goddesses, but I'm still considered a deity. Originally, there have been twelve Dragon Gods, but several eons ago, there had been a struggle of power between them, and in the end, the goddesses ended the struggle and demoted the dragons to lesser deities. A contract was made, stating that one half would stay here in Alveran as the High Dragons, while the remaining six descended to Aurius, watching the mortals from down there as the so-called Ancient Dragons. All of this has happened long before I became one of them, so I can't tell you all the details... but I'm sure there are several books in the library about it."

"Well, if I manage to find them within a month..." Ami muttered.

Mamoru laughed. "Mortal sarcasm, always good for a laugh."

"Say, Mamoru..." Ami then asked. "Isn't it bothersome to be like this all the time? What would Usagi say? or is she also a..."

"A dragon?" Mamoru shook his head with a sigh. "No, but she didn't become one of the twelve goddesses either. To be honest... she's been missing for several centuries now. We've been trying to find her, even though our jobs keep us busy, but it's almost as if she has vanished from Aurius. We can't find her anywhere."

Ami gasped. Usagi... gone? She couldn't imagine an immortal life without her clumsy, warm-hearted friend...

"M-maybe she wanted to become a mortal again..." she muttered.

Nandus shook his head. "That's impossible. Every deity that wants to become a mortal again has to sign a special contract first... and she never did anything like that. As far as I see it, there are two possibilities: Either she has abandoned Aurius and decided to be a goddess in another world..."

"She would never do anything like that!" Mamoru shouted.

"Or, the more likely possibility, she has been kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Ami wondered. "Who could kidnap a goddess?"

"Another god, obviously," Mamoru grumbled. "Since there are several religions on Aurius, there are also many deities that are not part of our pantheon... and not all of them are friendly. I'd like to suspect Brazoragh, the ancient god of the orcs, but I don't think he's smart enough to do anything like that."

"Maybe he had help," Nandus assumed.

But Mamoru shook his head. "He's way too busy rallying his orcs for one war after another. Haruka just told me that her war monks are preparing for another assault of the orcish hordes. No, I believe we have to search for our culprit in the Nether Hells."

Nandus paled. "D-don't say that... there is no proof that the Arch Demons are to blame."

"Are you defending those monsters?" Mamoru almost roared.

"O-of course not, my lord!" Nandus stuttered. "It's just that, well... I wouldn't wish such a fate on anyone. Especially not Usagi-sama... she always was such a gentle person..."

"Yes, she was..." the High Dragon sighed. "Dang, I miss her..."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mamoru," Ami said sadly. "Usagi is a friend of mine as well. If there's anything I can do to help..."

Mamoru shook his head with a smile. "You are not a goddess yet, Ami-chan... I doubt there's anything you could do. No, we just have to keep on searching... But I still haven't answered your question, right? Well, this is my current main body, but just like any other deity, I can change my appearance. When I choose to hang out with my friends, the former Senshi, I always take on my old, human appearance. But, since I'm on duty now..." He sighed. "Oh well, I better go back to my patrol flight... take care, Ami!"

"Bye, Mamoru..." Ami murmured and watched how the majestic dragon spread his wings and took off the ground.

"Poor Mamoru..." Ami said. She then looked at her future son reproachfully. "Why didn't you tell me that Usagi was missing?"

"I still wanted to," Nandus defended himself. "But my mother thought it would be best if you got a first impression of Alveran before we tell you the dire news. I just didn't expect to meet Lord Mamoru out here..."

Ami sighed. "It's okay, I guess I understand... but if he believes that Usagi was kidnapped by those demons, why don't you all just go and look?"

"Enter the Nether Hells?" Nandus laughed. "Only a person who's not native to Aurius can ask such a question. Because it's impossible. The entrance to the Nether Hells, the source of all evil on Aurius, lies in the Seventh Sphere, the outermost of all the planes of existence in this world. It is heavily guarded by horned demons, and the evil out there is so powerful that any god who would enter the Nether Hells would lose all of his or her powers in a second. And even when faced outside of their home realm, the Arch Demons are way too powerful. They represent the dark side of the twelve goddesses and are equal in power to each of them." He shook his head. "No, if one of them truly has kidnapped Usagi, there's not much that we can't do. I would never admit that to Lord Mamoru, but if she is trapped in the Nether Hells, then her soul is doomed."

He sighed when he saw the horrified expression on Ami's face. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you... but my mother always says it's better to tell the truth."

"She... she is right..." Ami murmured. "Let's... let's not talk about this any longer, okay?" It was warm in the courtyard, but all of a sudden, she felt cold.

Nandus just nodded, and their platform continued to drift across the courtyard, until they entered an archway on the other side.

Once again, they were floating along the endless corridors of the citadel of the gods.

"Nandus..." Ami then spoke up. "Is there a moon goddess? And do you even have a queen? I mean, now that Usagi is gone..."

Nandus sighed. "Well, that's difficult... officially, all of the twelve goddesses are equal in power and privileges... but there is one goddess that has always declared herself the queen of Alveran. Most of us don't really taking her serious when she says stuff like that... but still, she IS the Goddess of Leadership, among other things. As for the moon... well, Hotaru and Nabiki both are partly goddesses of the night, but... the moon itself is outside of our reach... because of Mada's sacrilege."

Ami blinked. "Mada? Who is Mada? And what did she do?"

"She, well... she was a godling from our school, and she has always been a friend of the mortals. She never liked it that the mortals have to endure everything the gods do and can't do anything about their fate. So she did something that nobody else would have ever done, because there was a reason why it was forbidden: She travelled up to the Sixth Sphere, which is the pure river of magical energy that is separating Alveran from the Nether Hells. It is the source of power for every supernatural being, may it be god or demon. She wanted to give part of that power to the mortals, so they could shape their own fate. But she was too weak and only damaged the Sixth Sphere, causing magical energy to leak out and onto the surface of Aurius. And from that day on, there have been mortals with the gift of magic. Rei repaired the Sixth Sphere as quick as she could, but she couldn't prevent the loss of magical energy that from that day on would flow freely through Aurius. Mada had done what no god had dared to do before her: She brought magic to the world!"

Ami was confused. "Back on Earth, we Senshi could use our magic every time we wanted... and nobody thought it was a sacrilege. Well, to be honest, I know nothing of the existence of gods on our world, but..."

"I admit, I don't know when this law was made," Nandus replied. "But I was raised with those laws and therefore was shocked when I heard that Mada did such a thing. The self-proclaimed 'queen' punished her by banning her spirit into a huge piece of rock and throwing that rock into the sky, so that she could look down at earth, seeing the results of her mistake for all eternity."

"And... where is this rock now?" Ami wondered.

Nandus looked out of a window they were passing... and pointed at the moon.

"There you can see her... Mada in her prison."

Ami wasn't able to say anything for a while.

"This... queen..." she finally said. "I'd like to meet her."

Nandus grimaced. "I knew you'd say that..." he grumbled. "Although I don't think it's a good idea..."

"I know. I still want to see her. What's her name?"

Before Nandus could answer, they heard a loud scream coming from ahead, and then, a winged body came stumbling through the air. It was a red-scaled dragon, a bit smaller than Mamoru, and he looked like someone had beat him up pretty bad.

"B-but let me explain... I wasn't seeing anything, I..."

"YOU DARE PEEK UPON THE QUEEN OF THE GODS WHILE SHE IS TAKING A SHOWER?" a deafening voice yelled. "RANMA, YOU PEEPING TOM!"

"Hey, it's not like I WANTED to look, okay? You're an even bigger tomboy than Akane... OOF!" The High Dragon grunted when out of nowhere, a golden crown came flying and slammed into his stomach.

And then, a huge, female figure came striding around the corner. She was surrounded by the most brilliant aura Ami had ever seen, and she had to raise her hand, that's how much the goddess blinded her. The woman was dressed in an elaborate, red and golden robe that was decorated with all kinds of complex patterns, and all kinds of golden jewelry was hanging from her body.

She also had a pair of yellow ribbons in her brown, shoulder-length hair.

Her eyes glared at the dragon like a pair of blazing suns.

Nandus grimaced. "Ami, meet High Dragon Ranma... and the Goddess of the Sun, Leadership and Light: Haruhi!"

The goddess glared at the demigod. "That's QUEEN Haruhi, you impudent twerp!"

* * *

Author's Note:

For those who haven't already guessed it: Haruhi is Haruhi Suzumiya, from the series of the same name.


	4. The Boat of Time

Haruhi glared at Ami. "A MORTAL?" she bellowed. "Here, in our hallowed halls? How can this be?"

"Well, you see, Haruhi-sama..." Nandus began.

"Explain yourself, godling!" the goddess growled.

Ranma shook his head and got up from he ground. "Hey, cut the kid some slack, Haruhi! Can't you see this is Ami?"

"Impossible! There's no trace of her godly powers! As the QUEEN, I should be able to recognize my subjects."

"Even those who have yet to become a deity?" Ranma grumbled. "Look closely, this is Ami BEFORE she became a goddess."

Haruhi gasped for air. "Is... is this true?"

Ami decided not to say anything for now.

"It is," Nandus nodded. "My mother brought me back in time so she would be prepared for what is coming."

"How dare she?" Haruhi thundered. "The law clearly states that meddling with the timeline is forbidden! Why else do you think I have chained Setsuna to the Boat of Time?"

Ami frowned. Setsuna? Chained? Boat of Time?

"This won't change anything, Haruhi-sama, honestly! My mother already remembers being brought here back when she was young... which clearly indicates that we aren't meddling with anything."

"Yet she still ignored by royal decree and brought a time traveler to Alveran!" the self-proclaimed queen grumbled. "Mark my words, this will have consequences!"

"Aw, shut it, Haruhi!" Ranma shouted. "Why do you have to be so stuck-up all the time? You're not the only goddess around here, you know?"

Haruhi picked up her crown, put it on her head and smirked. "But I'm the most important one! Without me, the sun would never rise again, and without any order in our kingdoms, anarchy would reign. Who else is gonna protect you from the demonic hordes from the Nether Hells?"

"I'd say Haruka, but never mind that now," Ranma sighed. "Listen, the girl's our guest, and she's Ami's younger self... so leave her alone already, it's not like she's interfering with our jobs... isn't that right, kiddo?"

"Um, of course not!" Ami was quick to reply. "Not at all!"

"Hmph!" Haruhi grunted. "This still will have consequences. Godling Nandus, tell your mother that I will have to punish her."

Nandus sweatdropped, but didn't say anything.

Ranma sighed. "Haruhi, Ami isn't one of your servants. You can't just treat her like Mikuru..."

"I am the queen, I can do what I want!" Haruhi proclaimed as she turned around and left. "And take a shower, Ranma, you stink!"

The red dragon lifted a wing and took a sniff. "Hey, you don't think I stink, do you?" he asked Nandus.

"N-no, of course not, sir!" Nandus said.

"Wh-what's her problem?" Ami stuttered. "Why is she so... so..."

Ranma smirked. "So bitchy?"

Ami blushed and nodded. "Yeah..."

"From what I know, Haruhi has always been a bit of a nutcase," Ranma sighed. "Unfortunately, she has received a big amount of her godly powers even back when she was a mortal."

Ami blinked. "How did THAT happen?"

"Nobody knows for sure," the High Dragon shrugged. "Oh well, I guess I better go back to my duties or Her Royal Bitchiness will get mad again... later, Nandus!"

"Goodbye, sir!" Nandus bowed. The dragon than turned around, flapped his wings once and flew along the corridor.

Ami took a deep breath. Today, she had met two godlings, two dragons and four goddesses, one of which was her future self. Still, it was good to see that at least most of them still had a normal personality, which almost made them seem human.

Well, except for Haruhi, that is.

She then remembered something.

"What did she say about Setsuna?" she asked her future son. "And what's the Boat of Time?"

Nandus sighed. "That's another nice example of what happens if those who are NOT part one of the Twelve Goddesses break the rules standing in Haruhi's book of godly law... and unfortunately, she didn't make those rules by herself, she just enforces the law. And she's right when she says that Aurius would plunge into chaos if nobody would listen to those rules. We gods all listen to the book, and the mortals listen to our laws. Setsuna... she didn't want to accept one of those rules. As the former Senshi of Time, she insisted to be placed in a similar rule. But since everyone knows her history, that position was denied. You see, we are not allowed to interfere with the timeline, and while Sailor Pluto was there to make sure the same doesn't happen on your homeworld, she still had the power to change what she doesn't regard as safe for the future. Something like that is forbidden on Aurius. It would cause chaos, and therefore strengthen the demons of the Nether Hells. But Setsuna did not want to listen. Just like Mada, she did something that nobody had dared to do before her... she got on board of the Boat of Time."

"But what IS the Boat of Time?" Ami wondered.

"It symbolizes the journey of our world throughout the ages. The dreams and wishes of the mortals are the wind that move the boat onward. Its bow, pointing into the future, is made of hope. The boat doesn't need anyone to steer it, because the flow of time must not be meddled with. But Setsuna boarded it and reached for the rudder... and as soon as she did that, she became a prisoner of the boat. Cahins appeared around her ankles and wrists, keeping her from ever reaching the rudder, but also making sure she'd never leave the boat again."

"That... that's horrible!" Ami gasped. "But what for?"

"Well, Haruhi allowed her one boon: To prevent something similar from happening, and to make sure that nobody ever shares her fate, she received the order to write a logbook. She has to write down everything that happens in Aurius's history, never resting, never sleeping. She was also granted to helpers: Her two daughters Ymra and Fatas. Unlike Setsuna, they aren't prisoners of the boat, but they quite often stay with their mother to help her. From the same fabric that the boat's sails are made of, they create the pages for Setsuna's logbook. Ymra uses the memories of mortals to form the past, and every night, she makes a black page for the book. Fatas, on the other hand, uses the hope of the mortals to form the future, and every day, she makes a white page for the book. And Setsuna always reads her book. Whenever she turns a white page, the sun rises, and whenever she reads a black page, night falls. And she looks very carefully to find anyone who tries to make the same mistake as she did, to save him from what happened to her."

"That's such a sad story..." Ami murmured. "Poor Setsuna... can't there anything be done to rehabilitate her?"

Nandus sadly shook his head. "I hate to say it, but she brought this upon herself. There is a slight hope that one day, she might be forgiven by the forces of destiny, so that one day, she will be allowed to leave the boat... but, to be honest, I don't really know if she's willing to leave it."

"Why not?" Ami asked.

"Because there would be nobody who could take over her job. She is the guardian of time, just like she wanted... but as I said, she wants to make sure that nobody else will ever have to carry that burden."

Ami then just stayed quiet and said nothing, while they continued on their way to Michiru's Ocean of Tranquility.


	5. Divine Family

The goddess of the sea was lying in the warm sand underneath the rays of the sun, her eyes closed. For once, she wasn't wearing her godly vestments, but nothing but a comfortable, deep green bathing suit, adorned with tiny seashells. She had a content look on her face, and her turquoise hair was billowing in the wind.

For once, she had time to relax and enjoy her free time, away from the stressful job of an oceanic deity. Her youngest son had promised to take care of the seven seas in her absence, and up until now, he had always been the most dependable member of her family, even more than her adult daughter.

Yes, she still saw Hotaru as her daughter, even after over 4000 years. Nothing would ever change that.

Now if she only could get rid of that annoying whirring sound in her ears...

She opened her eyes when she recognized the sound. She groaned. Of course it was Haruka, who else? But Michiru wondered why the Goddess of the Battlefield always had to make such a noise when she arrived.

She looked up to the sky and sighed when she recognized Kauca, Haruka's favorite hurricane, as it was approaching her island. On top of the spiraling twister, she saw her wife, in a rust-free armor made of sea serpent scales (a present Michiru had given to her on her birthday), surfing on the hurricane as if it was a surfing board.

"Yee-haah!" Haruka whooped as Kauca sped past Michiru's little island. She waved to her wife, circled the island once and then jumped off.

She grinned. "Did you see that, Michiru? A new sport I just invented! I call it 'Twister Surfing'! For all sportive deities of any age!"

She turned around, and with a wave of her hand, the hurricane disappeared, obviously sent back to the real ocean, down on Aurius.

Michiru sighed. "Haruka, I'd like to remember you that this is my QUIET weekend, and I'd like to spend it in peace and QUIET for once. By the way, what are you doing here? Don't you have to train the Valkyries?"

"Ah, don't worry, Kor is taking over," the short-haired goddess grinned. "You know he always wanted to give it a try, and now that he's taking care of the Valkyries, we have more time for each other..."

She knelt down on the warm sand and shuffled closer to her wife, but Michiru wrinkled her nose. "Only if you remove that sweaty armor. It stinks like a pack of dirty lindworms. Do you really think Kor is ready for such a task?"

"It's no big deal, I just told him to give the Valkyries the standard training," Haruka shrugged.

"The... standard training?" Michiru paled. "Haruka, you know that the 'standard training' you two always do is the training for a DEITY, not for our troops, right? I mean, they still have been mighty heroes in their lives, but that's nothing compared to what you and Kor are capable of..."

Haruka grinned sheepishly. "Oops."

* * *

The tall, dark-haired boy stood on one side of the Halls of Honor, his mother's paradise and training ground for the Valkyries. He let his dark glare sweep across the female, golden-clad warriors who were nervously doing their training routines.

"GET MOVING, YOU LAZY PILE OF DELINQUENTS!" the loud voice roared across the training court. "YOU CALL THAT A WORKOUT? THAT'S NOTHING MORE THAN A WARMUP! I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE ARMY OF ALVERAN, AND NOT A BUNCH OF LAZY HOUSEWIVES!"

A short-haired Valkyrie gritted her teeth as she swung her lance for the thirty-seventh time this evening. "I swear, if he keeps it up, then I don't care if he's Haruka's son or not: I'm gonna take my mallet and pound him into the atmosphere!"

"Calm down, Akane!" her fellow Valkyrie Ukyo said. "I hate it as much as you do, but right now, he's our commander, and we have to do what he says."

"Yeah, besides, you better save your strength for our upcoming exhibition match," the red-headed warrior next to them said. "Don't waste it on that jerk!"

"YOU ARE THE SADDEST BUNCH I'VE SEEN IN MY LIFE!" Kor shouted. "WHY; I GUESS EVEN SHINJI WOULD BE ABLE TO BEAT ALL OF YOU!"

"Excuse me for a second..." Asuka growled, planted her lance on the ground and ran up to the front.

WHAM! BAM! "WOULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT THAT, KOR?"

"Gaaaah!" the godling yelled as he was pummeled by the furious Valkyrie's fists. "I'm s-sorry, Asuka, I didn't mean it like that..."

"Compare me with weakling baka-Shinji, will ya?" Asuka yelled. "I'm much stronger than that wimp, got it?"

Ukyo shook her head. "C'mon, Akane, we better pull her off of him..."

Akane watched Asuka with awe. "Wow... and here people say I have anger issues..."

* * *

"Well, I guess the girls will be fine by themselves just this one evening," Haruka grinned. "So, what do you wanna do tonight?"

"Sleep, and relax..." Michiru sighed. "I've prevented three floods yesterday, had to guide fifty-nine ships through the storms YOU caused, brought a couple of stranded whales back into the ocean and sunk at least three pirate ships before they could attack helpless coast villages. Managing a whole ocean isn't as easy as it might seem." She glared up at her wife. "What reminds me, you STILL haven't showed me that hurricane schedule of yours. You HAVE already written it, haven't you?"

"Um, well, the thing is, see..." the Goddess of the Battlefield muttered. "I... didn't quite get around to do it yet."

"EXCUSE me?" Michiru sat up. "What's that supposed to mean? Haruka, how am I supposed to guide my followers around those storms without knowing where you're gonna cause them? How typical of your, irresponsible to the end!"

"Hey!" Haruka protested. "I was busy enough to instruct my war monks about the upcoming battle with the orcs. I just forgot to do it, okay?"

"You know what? Forget it!" Michiru sighed. "We will do it together, tomorrow. As for now, let's just relax together..." And she lay back on the warm sand.

Haruka grinned. "Good idea!"

"Didn't I just tell you to remove that smelly armor?"

"Y-yes, ma'am..."

Just then, a big, floating door appeared in the air. When it opened, they could see the entrance hall of Michiru's domain, as well as a floating platform with two people on it.

When the platform came through the door, Nandus waved and smiled. "Aunt Haruka, Aunt Michiru... I hope we don't come at a bad time."

"No, not at all!" Michiru smiled. "You're always welcome here!" She then looked at his blue-haired companion. "But I am surprised that you've decided to look like a teenager today, Ami... and even in front of your son."

"Um, the thing is, I'm not really Ami... I mean, not the Ami you know. I'm her from the past..."

"I get it," Haruka smirked. "Setsuna somehow messed up and brought you here, right?"

Michiru and Nandus groaned. "Haruka, Setsuna is not allowed to 'mess up' anymore," Michiru said. "There has to be some other explanation."

"Actually, Mom just invited her younger self to take a look at Alveran," Nandus explained. "So she is prepared for when she becomes immortal."

"Ah, so that's the reason why Ami wasn't too surprised back then," Haruka chuckled. "A smart girl, our Ami."

Ami blushed and then looked around the endless ocean that surrounded them. "So... this is your paradise, Michiru? This is not the actual ocean on Aurius, isn't it?"

"She learns fast," the sea goddess smiled. "No, this is my own domain I created in a... what's the word... pocket dimension. This isn't the real sun either, just a facsimile Rei created for me... after Haruhi reluctantly agreed." She made a wide hand gesture across the water. "Down below, all of the souls that died at sea are now free, free to roam the heavenly ocean, and free to rejoice in the wonders of the sea."

Ami chuckled. "You always tend to get poetic when talking about the sea," she smiled. "So... this is it? A single island and an endless ocean? I mean, it doesn't look like much..."

"First of all, I can raise and lower as much islands as I want," Michiru said. "Besides, you haven't seen the ocean from below... care to take a little swim, you two?"

Ami's eyes lit up with joy. "Of course I do!"

Nandus grinned. "Well, then I have no other choice, do I?" He snapped his fingers, and without any warning, the floating platform disappeared, making him and Ami fall down into the water.

Ami spat out some water and looked at her future son in annoyance. "You could have warned me."

Michiru had walked up to the water as well, then she turned around to her wife. "You coming, Haruka?"

The blonde goddess shook her head. "Nah, not today. You have fun, I think I'm just gonna wait for you up here..."

"Fine, but don't complain the next time I refuse to watch your armies battle the next time," Michiru frowned and leapt into the water.

With a flick of her hand, she transformed Ami into a mermaid, with a beautiful, blue tail. She also turned herself into a mermaid, while Nandus transformed into a dolphin.

"Nice choice," Michiru told him.

Nandus chuckled. "Well, it is your holy animal, so I figured you'd like it..."

"You bet I do!" Michiru nodded. "Okay then, shall we?"

"Heeeyyyy!" a loud voice suddenly yelled. "Mom, I'm back!"

Ami gasped in surprise when the white whale surfaced next to them. To her, it almost looked like a whole island came out of the sea.

The whale looked at them with amused eyes. "Hey there, Nandus! Did you come for a small dip in the ocean?"

"Actually, I'm showing my mother's younger self around the citadel," Nandus explained. By now, he was a bit annoyed that he had to repeat that every time they ran into a godling or god.

"Hey, that's cool! Hey Mom, you don't mind if I come along with ya, do you?"

Michiru frowned. "Have you already finished your duties, Swafnir?"

"What do you take me for, Mom?" the godling grinned. "I've taken care of everything. Heck, I was already finished two hours ago."

"Then why didn't you come home earlier?" Michiru frowned.

"Well, I wanted to, but in the middle of the Sea of Pearls, I met Hranngar... and, well, she challenged me to a fight. I couldn't possibly say no, could I?"

"That's my boy!" Haruka grinned. "I take it you showed that mangy sea serpent who's boss, right?"

"It's... not like that," Swafnir said. "It was just a little duel, nothing else..."

"A duel?" Haruka shouted. "She's the goddess of all sea serpents, the daughter of a dragon and a demon... and yet you still show her mercy?"

"B-but Mom, she isn't like that," Swafnir protested. "She's actually a nice girl... and she isn't much older than I am."

Michiru frowned. "Swafnir, you're not dating the girl, aren't you? I mean, she is one of Herb's children..."

"And Herb was an Ancient Dragon, so what's the problem?"

"The problem is that Herb was also a tyrant who wanted to rule all of Aurius," Haruka grumbled. "If it wasn't for Ranma, he would still be alive. Any child of his is a spawn of evil that can't be allowed to live! The next time you see Hranngar, kill her!"

Ami never knew a whale could look sad. "Yes, Mom..." Swafnir muttered.

Michiru cleared her throat. "Well, let's talk about that later. For now, let's just enjoy the evening. Come on, Ami, let me show you the wonders of my little ocean..."

Ami smiled. "I can't wait!"

And one after another, Michiru, Ami, Nandus and Swafnir dove down into the blue depths.


	6. The Tower of Pain

The Nether Hells... a place so horrible that most humans aren't really able to imagine it. In here, the souls of the wicked are crying out in eternal anguish as they are being tortured for all eternity.

Every human who feels that the virtues and laws of the Twelve Goddesses or any other god are not enough to satisfy him, quite often turns to the more sinister side... and begins to worship the dark residents of the Nether Hells, the demons!

The hierarchy of the demons is as followed: The most numerous are the Lower Demons, which are the weakest, but still horrible. Those can be summoned pretty quickly by everyone who knows the correct incantation and the demon's true name.

Higher ranked than the Lower Demons are the Horned Demons. These are much more powerful and are usually called to cause serious and everlasting harm to the enemies of the summoner. Still, he needs to do a more complex ritual to summon them. The number of horns a Horned Demon has usually shows the level of his powers. A one-horned demon isn't that much stronger than a Lower Demon, but a thirteen-horned demon is normally a higher servant of the most powerful of demons: The Arch Demons!

The Nether Hells are divided into twelve domains, and each domain is ruled by one of the Arch Demons. They are the exact opposite of the Twelve Goddesses, since they are everything evil they have abandoned a long time ago. And while a goddess still can have her flaws, a resident of Alveran can never have an evil side.

The most feared of the Arch Demons is Blakharaz, Mistress of Pain, punishment and anguish.

In a lake of blood and molten iron, the dark tower of Blakharaz rises. Inside, the cries of the damned never stop. Whenever a poor soul has sold his soul to this dark entity, he will gain the chance to power in his life, the power to take vengeance on all of his enemies. But after his death, all those crimes come back to haunt him, and he will feel them personally... but multiplied tenfold.

Enormous guillotines, iron maidens as huge as oak trees and burning coals that burn the flesh of the unfortunate souls that can never die... after all, they already are dead. This and much more awaits anyone who comes into the dark tower of Blakharaz.

This is also the place where Usagi, former ruler of Crystal Tokyo, and wife of High Dragon Mamoru, is imprisoned.

Fortunately for her, the Arch Demons have decided that she is a much more valuable hostage if they leave her intact... therefore, Blakharaz hasn't tortured her yet.

Trapped in a cage made of human bones placed on top of the tower, Usagi is forced to look over Blakharaz domain and listen to the voices of the damned.

While still an immortal, Usagi has never been declared a true goddess, and ever since she willingly left Crystal Tokyo, she had lost both her status as a queen and a Sailor Senshi.

Therefore, the person trapped inside the cage looked just like any normal human woman, clad in a similar dress her own mother had worn, back when she was still a mortal.

Usagi knew there was no escape from the Nether Hells. Still, she hadn't given up hope.

Coming out of a pillar of flames, a figure clad in a black robe stepped in front of the cage. A wide cowl made it impossible for Usagi to look at the Arch Demon's face. Around Blakharaz' neck, a noose made of living, white snakes was hanging. Out of her sleeves, a pair of pale hands was coming. They were holding an enormous executioner's axe.

"Well then, ex-queen of Crystal Tokyo..." The Arch Demon's voice was like a hissing whisper. "Are you finally willing to talk?"

Usagi glared at the demon. "I don't know why you are wasting your time. I will never betray my friends."

"Unfortunate, Usagi..." Blakharaz hissed. "I was hoping you'd be a bit more... cooperative. I will ask you one more time: How could that brat Mada breach the Sixth Sphere? Thanks to her, the magical energies that could previously only be used by gods and demons is now flowing freely through Aurius. Even we, the Arch Demons, are confined by the barriers of the Sixth Sphere. The summoning rituals of the mortals can only bring our servants down to Aurius, and only for a short time. Now how did she do it?"

Usagi turned her head. "I will never tell."

For a while, Blakharaz said nothing.

"As you wish..." she finally whispered. "If you are not willing to talk... you will have to suffer the consequences!" And she threateningly raised her axe high up into the air.

Suddenly, the flapping of wings could be heard in the air. Both Blakharaz and Usagi looked up and saw a huge, ugly bird that was circling the tower. Its bald neck was covered with scars, and its black feathers were ruffled and moldy. On the creature's feet, curved claws were gleaming in the hellish glow of the Nether Hells.

And its face... was that of Kasumi Tendo.

"You shouldn't scare the poor girl, Blak-chan," the demon said with a smile. "You might scare her to death."

Blakharaz brushed back her cowl, revealing a face that looked nearly identical to the face of Haruhi Suzumiya. "Very funny, Lolgramoth!" she growled in a more normal-sounding voice. "Maybe you have a better idea how we can make her talk?"

But Lolgramoth just smirked. "Oh my! Whatever gave you the idea that I could have an idea? After all, I'm just the poor Arch Demon of restlessness, damned to eternal unrest myself, not allowed to stop and rest even once. Do you think I have the time to think about something like that?"

"Never mind..." Blakharaz grumbled. "She will tell us in time."

"And what if not, oh Mistress of Punishment?" the avian demon asked with a cute smile on her face. Of course, it was nothing but a lie, just like her sweet voice. Lolgramoth was not just the mistress of unrest, she was also a merciless hunter of souls.

Blakharaz smiled. "Then... she will have to be punished."

Lolgramoth giggled while she continued to circle the tower. "You know, you just sounded exactly like Haruhi, you know?"

"Don't you dare compare me with that bitch!" the Arch Demon of Vengeance hissed. "Instead of bothering me, why don't you go and tell Charyptoroth that her daughter is supposed to kill Michiru's son instead of flirting with him?"

Lolgramoth shrugged as best as she could with her wings. "Hranngar pretty much does what she wants, I don't think she listens to Charyptoroth a much as her mother would prefer... I believe she takes after her father."

"Leave already!" Blakharaz grumbled.

"Well, I know when I am not wanted. But after all, I don't even like to stay at once place for too long." Lolgramoth giggled. "That's just how I am. Kasumi enjoys a nice home she can always return to. For me, settling down is almost unbearable, that's why I'm always in motion, always busy..."

"LEAVE!" Blakharaz yelled.

"Sheesh, no need to yell..." the woman-faced bird muttered, flew one last circle around the tower and then headed towards the depths of darkness, the wet domain of the Arch Demon Charyptoroth, the evil side of the goddess Michiru.

"As for you, Usagi..." Blakharaz grumbled. "I'll make you talk, just you wait!"

With one final glare, Blakharaz stepped back into her flames and left her prisoner alone.

Usagi sighed as she looked out of her macabre cage. "Mamoru..." she whispered. "I miss you..."

* * *

Ami giggled while she and Nandus left Michiru's domain. "That was fun! Did you see those beautiful corals? And the dolphins? They were so funny..."

"I hope you are still ready for more," Nandus smirked. "The tour is not over yet. Next, I'm gonna show you the most amazing examples of plant life Aurius has to offer... for we will go and visit Makoto's Arboretum."

"I wonder how much Makoto has changed during all those years," Ami said excitedly. "Let's go!"

"Okay, but first..." Nandus snapped his fingers, and a sign made of sparkling lights appeared above Ami's head. It read: "Hi! I'm Ami from before she rose to godhood. That's why I'm in the form of a teenager. I am a teenager. Please stop asking Nandus about it. Thank you."

Ami giggled. "I guess that stops everyone from asking about me, huh?"

Nandus just grinned. In the meantime, their platform continued its way through Alveran. Every now and then, they were coming past a wondrous creature or a gleaming soul. Everyone greeted them politely.

Finally, they were coming past another huge door. This one was black, but decorated with gold. The sign leading to 'Makoto's Arboretum of Fertility' pointed directly past that door, but Ami was intrigued what would lie behind that door anyways.

She gasped when she read the words: 'Hotaru's Bed Chamber of Eternal Slumber'.

"This... is Hotaru's domain?" she wondered.

"Of course," Nandus whispered. "She's still Michiru's daughter, so naturally, her domain is close to her mother's. But be quiet, she doesn't like it when people talk too loudly in front of her door. The souls in there are lying in their beds, sleeping peacefully for eternity... well, there have been a few times one or two souls have woken up, but that was because Haruka made a racket in front of the bed chamber."

"So... Hotaru grants her followers eternal... sleep?" Ami wondered.

"Not just that," Nandus tried to explain. "You see, Hotaru is not just the Goddess of Death, she is also the Goddess of Sleep and Dreams. And within her bed chamber, the sleeping souls can dream whatever they want. In life, they all had to work hardly, but in death, they can take their deserved rest."

"Do you... do you think I could pay Hotaru a visit as well?" Ami asked.

"I think we shouldn't disturb her or the resting souls," Nandus whispered. "She will take a break from her work once a day, so maybe we'll be able to meet her later on. For now, let's just go to Makoto, okay?"

Ami nodded, and they continued on their way, leaving the entrance to Hotaru's bed chamber behind.


	7. Tree of Life

Ami looked around when she and Nandus entered the big antechamber of Makoto's domain. Curiously enough, it looked like a normal secretary's office. Only that the wall to the next room was transparent like a glass wall, only that it was transparent stone.

At the desk, a teenaged, grey-haired girl was sitting. "Hello? May I help you?"

Nandus nodded. "Hello, Diana! Yes, we'd like to meet with Makoto."

"Diana? Is that you?" Ami blurted out.

"Of course I am, Ami, why do you...?"

Nandus pointed at the sign that once again had appeared over Ami's head, and Diana chuckled. "Oh, I see! Yes, it's me, I've taken a part-time job here at Makoto's domain."

"And... what do you do?" Ami asked the former feline.

"Oh, I make sure that not the wrong people bother her," Diana smiled.

"Well, you know we aren't like that, do you?" Nandus chuckled.

"Sure you aren't... do you have an appointment?"

Nandus was surprised. "Um, no, I thought..."

"Being the Goddess of Forests, Agriculture and Healing is a time-consuming task," Diana explained. "You don't think I'd let just anyone in here who wants to see her, do you?"

"Well... no..." Nandus certainly was a bit perplexed. "Look, we just want to say hi. Is she there or not?"

"Well, even if you have a good reason, she's not here right now. She's down on Aurius for some important business."

"She... she's down on the surface?" Nandus wondered. "That doesn't happen too often... can we go and see her?"

"I told you, you need an appointment," Diana insisted. "But since you are the son of the Goddess of Magic and Science, maybe I can make an exception... shall I call your mother?"

"Please do," Nandus said.

And while Diana dialed a number on her phone, he shook his head. "Makoto never had such a strict secretary before..." he grumbled. "Diana's really getting a bit overboard here..."

Ami giggled. "Good to see she's taking her job seriously."

Meanwhile, Diana was speaking into the phone: "Mmhmmm... ah, yes... yes, I see... thanks have a nice day!" She put the phone away. "Well, I checked out your story and could determine that your claim is valid."

"That's what I said, right?" Nandus sighed. "Well then, can we see Makoto?"

"I will prepare a transit line... but remember to disguise yourself when on the mortal plane. Please, step on the pedestal..." She gestured at a small, circular pedestal standing next to her desk.

Nandus and Ami obeyed and stepped on. While she was doing that, Ami was able to catch a glimpse of the next room... it looked like a greenhouse, but the plants growing inside made it almost seem like a jungle.

"Where will this thing take us?" Nandus asked.

"Your destination is the rural village of Cropville. Makoto is there to inspect the farmers' handling of her newest creation, a vegetable that can be harvested the whole year long."

Ami sweatdropped. "That's what she's doing nowadays?"

"Don't let yourself get fooled," Nandus smirked. "Nothing is more interesting than a goddesses field work."

"I have to inform you that all kinds of food and beverages are forbidden while using the Alveranian Transit System," Diana said. "Also make sure not to lean forward when traveling down to the mortal plane."

"Yes, yes, we know all that," Nandus sighed. "Can't you just get on with it?"

"Very well then... have a nice day... and don't forget to choose your form of disguise while being transferred."

"Don't worry, I'll choose a fitting disguise for you as well," Nandus told Ami, who felt a bit uneasy.

"Ready?" Diana asked and pressed a few buttons on her desk. Next, she grabbed a huge lever next to her telephone. "Alveranian Transit System... ACTIVATE!" And when she pulled the lever, a strange feeling ran through Ami's body. It was as if she was falling down a very long shaft, but part of her upper body hadn't begun to fall.

The whole room around her faded away... and another scenery faded in.

Ami shook herself. "That... felt weird..." she said.

Then she blinked. She was wrong, she wanted to say those words, but instead, she had heard something else... like the chirp of a little bird. And when she looked down, she saw that she was indeed a small bird with blue feathers, who was sitting on the branches of a big tree.

She heard a soft chirping next to her and turned around her head. She saw another bird sitting there, this one with white feathers. In her mind, the chirping turned into words.

"I told you I would take care of your disguise when we're on the mortal plane," Nandus said, and even though he had a beak, Ami was sure to see a smirk on his face.

Ami experimentally moved her wings. "This... is certainly something else," she said. "I've never transformed into an animal before..."

"Oh, you'll learn to love it," Nandus said.

"Are the two of you done with chirping?" another voice next to them spoke up. "Because I'd really like to say hello to Ami... it doesn't happen every day that we get a visitor from the past."

"I recognize that voice," Ami said and looked around. "Makoto?"

"Over here, silly!" her friend chuckled. Ami looked to where the voice came from, but saw only the tree. "Makoto, I can't see you! Are you hiding among the leaves?"

Both Nandus and Makoto chuckled. "Ami... Makoto IS the tree," the white bird finally said.

Ami was so surprised that she nearly fell of the branch she was perched upon. "Makoto... you're a tree?"

"Why not?" Makoto seemed amused. "I'm a goddess, you know? I can look how I want to. And a tree really is one of the best disguises... nobody expects that somebody might be listening if all they can see is a tree. And it's a great feeling, too! The wind in your branches... the rich soil around your roots... and the little animal scampering around your branches... it's fantastic!"

"Um, well, if you say so... Say... what are you doing here?"

"See those farmers?" Makoto asked. Only now did Ami notice that the tree Makoto had turned into was standing next to a huge field of vegetables. In the distance, she could see a few farmhouses. A couple of men in rural clothes were standing next to the field.

"Just a month ago, I came up with a new sort of vegetable," Makoto explained.

"Diana already told us, it's a vegetable that can be harvested the whole year, right?"

"Right," Makoto nodded. "But I can only be sure that it really works out as I have imagined by testing. That's why I allowed one of these farmers to find the seeds in his garden. And now that they are fully grown, I came here to see if it was a success or not."

Then they watched and listened as one of the farmers, a big man who already had a gray beard, but who seemed still pretty fit for his age, grabbed one of the green leaves that came out of the ground and pulled.

The vegetable that came out looked similar to a carrot, but it was striped red and white.

The farmer smiled as he showed the vegetable to his friends. "It's a success! Now we can eat these the whole year, even in winter."

The other men gave him their congratulations, patted his back and shook his hands. Everything seemed fine until another farmer spoke up: "Well... that still doesn't help when the Orcs invade. I don't think these new vegetables of yours will survive being trampled by their pillaging hordes..."

The others became very quiet after hearing that. "You're right..." the other farmer sighed. "If the Orcs attack, there's not much we can do but pray..."

"Yes, maybe Makoto will hear us and make sure that our crops are spared this time around..." a stable hand murmured.

"Makoto isn't the goddess we should pray to in such a case," a tall youngster grumbled. "Haruka is the Goddess of War! She will protect us."

"My boy, do you really think Haruka would bother with us poor country people?" the first farmer sighed. "If anything, the knights that are fighting in her name will protect the big cities. Remember the last time the Orcs decided to attack our kingdom? All of the country villages were evacuated, ours included. The king assured us that we'd be safe in the capital, and he was right... but after we returned back home, what did we find? Trampled fields, destroyed crops, slaughtered animals and burnt houses. I'm telling you, there's not much we can do..."

"I'm telling you, I will do something!" the young man shouted. "I won't watch how the Orcs ruin our hard work! I will go to Gareth and become a Warrior Monk, and then I will tell the knights to attack the Orcs before they reach our villages."

"Keep on dreaming, boy..." a few men around him muttered before they turned around and left.

"I'll drive them out of our kingdom! You'll see!" the youngster snarled.

The old farmer patted his head. "Steve, you are speaking nonsense! What do you know about being a warrior? Stay here and do your job, that's far more important than dreaming silly dreams of knights and temples..."

In the end, the boy called Steve was the only one left behind. "You'll see..." he murmured. "You'll all see..."

"I feel sorry for him," Ami chirped. "But is it true? Will the villages really be pillaged?"

"The Orcs have always been the biggest threat to the Middle Kingdom," Nandus frowned. "They are a race of brutal barbarians, but they are more intelligent than most of the humans want to believe, and there are so many of them..."

"Unfortunately, they were partly right," Makoto said. "As the Goddess of Forests and Crops, there's not much I can do. I have to believe in Haruka's abilities as the Goddess of Battle..."

"We have to depend on Haruka?" Ami blinked. "Okay, that's it... we're doomed!"

"Ami, that's not funny," Makoto chuckled. Ami had never heard a tree chuckle before, but this day was full of strange events.

"Oh well, at least my experiment was a success," Makoto finally said. "I guess we can head back... would you like a cup of tea in my arboretum before you go? I grow the tea plants myself."

"I'd like to have a cup," Ami smiled. "And I can't wait to find out how much your tea has improved over all those centuries... but then again, there wasn't much to improve, was there?"

"Oh, stop that..." Makoto chuckled. "Or I'll be the first blushing tree in Aurius."


	8. Haruhi's little spy

Queen Haruhi was sitting on her golden throne in the middle of her Glamorous Halls, surrounded by her royal household. To her right and left, two of her noble gryphon guardians were lying.

Tapping her golden sun scepter against the armrest of her throne, the Goddess of the Sun had a thoughtful expression on her face. All of her servants knew that their queen was brooding over something, but they did not dare to address her directly.

Behind her, a handsome godling with white wings, a white toga and a golden helmet was standing. "Mother, what ails you?" he finally asked.

"Isn't it obvious, Ucuri?" Haruhi sighed. "That mortal roaming our hallowed halls, of course! I know she is Ami's younger self... but that makes it even worse! Meddling with time is a bothersome affair, that's why I chained Setsuna to the Boat of Time!"

"Please, explain... why don't you just order her to send young AMi back into the past?" Ucuri asked.

"Because they don't really have violated one of the book's laws, dear son," she sighed. "And even though I am the queen... I still have to follow the book as well." She furrowed her brow. "If only I knew what they are up to..."

"Mother, leave it to me!" the young godling proclaimed. "I shall make sure their tongues are loosened in my presence..."

Haruhi sighed again. "Dear Ucuri, please forgive me to say this, but you aren't really the right one for this task."

Ucuri blinked in confusion. He couldn't understand why his mother wouldn't allow him to take care of things. After all, he was certain that EVERYONE would tell him what he needed to know, as soon as he'd show his brilliant appearance in front of them. Even back at the academy, every student always made way when he approaches... although he didn't know that this was just because nobody wanted to get close to the arrogant demigod...

Still, what would you expect from a young boy who grew up without a father... and a mother like Haruhi? Unlike the other godlings, Ucuri wasn't born in the 'traditional' sense... Haruhi never was pregnant with him, she just used her godly powers to create him out of herself.

Finally, a smirk appeared on her face. "I know someone who seems innocent enough that they wouldn't expect her to be a spy of mine... MIKURU!"

Almost at once, a slender shape came flying into the room, with wildly fluttering wings. It was another gryphon, but smaller than the two that were lying next to the throne. This one was a female, with red feathers on her avian front half and golden fur on her feline back half.

"Y-you called for me, my queen?" the little gryphon squeaked as she landed and bowed her head in front of Haruhi.

"Mikuru-chan, I have a little job for you," Haruhi smirked. "You heard that a teenage version of Ami is visiting our citadel, right? She's a visitor from the past, and I want her to feel welcome, so I hereby appoint you to be her personal guardian and servant... if she needs anything, bring it to her. I want to assure her only the most pleasant memories of this place. Do you understand?"

"Of... of course, my queen!" Mikuru quickly said. "Her wish will be my command... when do I start?"

"Right now," Haruhi said. "Make sure that she stays in the most luxurious bed chamber of Alveran... except for my own, of course!"

"As you command, my queen!" Mikuru bowed her head again and turned around to leave.

"One more thing, Mikuru-chan..." Haruhi smirked. "I expect a full report on how she is doing twice a day, understood?"

"Yes, my queen!" the female gryphon nodded and flew out of the room.

Haruhi leaned back in her throne, satisfied with herself. "Now Mikuru will tell us everything she is doing... and, naive as she is, she won't even know that she is working as my little spy." She giggled.

One of the two gryphons looked at his queen with a deep frown. "Haruhi... do you always have to use poor Asahina-san for your schemes?" he grumbled.

"Be quiet, Kyon!" Haruhi commanded. "Or I will have to punish you! And why do you keep on calling her 'Asahina-san'? Here at Alveran, family names mean nothing... besides, you're even a higher rank among the gryphon squad than she is. Just call her 'soldier' or 'Private Mikuru', got it?"

The male gryphon laid his head on the floor and covered his ears with a groan. "Haruhi is in one of her moods again, Itsuki..."

The other gryphon, who had a perpetual smile on his face, replied: "Just bear with it, Kyon! You don't want to anger the goddess of the sun, do you?"

"That's right, Kyon!" Haruhi smirked. "You better do what I say... and now, Kyon... massage my shoulders!"

"But..." Kyon protested.

"THAT'S AN ORDER!" she shouted.

Kyon sighed. "Yes, Haruhi..."

"Yes, WHAT?"

The male gryphon groaned. "Yes... my queen!"

* * *

Ami bit into one a muffin when she and Nandus came back out of Makoto's Arboretum. "She's still the best cook I know," she mumbled.

Nandus grinned. "Well, Kasumi-sama is getting pretty close... you have to try her cinnamon rolls some time."

"Sounds good," Ami smiled. "But now..." She yawned. "I'm getting pretty tired... can we postpone the rest of the tour to tomorrow? I'm getting pretty tired..."

Nandus smacked his forehead in embarrassment. "I'm such an idiot... I should have remembered that mortals have to sleep."

Ami stared. "Does that mean that nowadays... I never sleep?"

Nandus grinned. "Well, my mother still likes to take a nice nap every now and then, but she, as well as the other goddesses, actually don't have to sleep. Same goes for me and the other godlings too, of course... we don't get tired, you know?"

"I... don't know if I could get used to that," Ami muttered.

"Trust me, you will... in time. But now, where shall I quarter you...?"

Suddenly, a small blur of fur and feathers came fluttering down the corridor and landed on their floating platform. "Um... are you the mortal, past self of Ami, Goddess of Wisdom and Magic?"

"Um... yeah, I guess I am," Ami nodded.

The gryphon lowered her head. "My lady, I am at your service! My name is Mikuru, and Queen Haruhi has assigned me to be your personal servant during your stay at Alveran."

"S-servant? No, that won't be necessary..." Ami protested.

"Please, my lady, I insist!" Mikuru pleaded.

"You better accept, Ami," Nandus said. "If you send Mikuru back, Haruhi will probably punish her for not carrying out her task. Still, I'm curious... it's not like Haruhi to treat any mortal like a guest... even someone who will become a goddess in the future."

Ami sighed. "Well, if you say so... okay, Mikuru, I accept."

"I am glad," the female gryphon smiled. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"Well... after today's tour, I've become pretty tired, so could you arrange some place where I could stay for the night?"

"Of course, my lady!" Mikuru nodded. "If you come this way, the most comfortable and luxurious beds are in Minako's Tent of Love..."

"Please, just call me Ami..." She then turned to Nandus. "Minako's Tent of Love? Sounds like the name of a cheap brothel to me..."

Nandus laughed. "Well, that's what my mother said as well the first time she heard that name. And, to be honest, that's what it looks like at times. Aunt Minako always makes sure that the souls in her paradise will feel the greatest pleasures the afterlife can offer... needless to say that, she being the Goddess of Love, this includes..."

"Lots of sex?" Ami assumed. "You want me... to sleep in a tent... where countless souls have had... sex?"

"Please don't get the wrong picture of Aunt Minako," Nandus said. "While she certainly enjoys the pleasurable aspects of her job, she also is a very romantic goddess, and not everything that happens in her tent involves carnal lust. Sometimes, if a couple of beloved ones has died, she not only rejuvenates their souls, but she also makes sure that they will never be separated from each other. Her huge tent has several openings that lead to the most romantic places you can imagine... and sometimes, the couples just sit there, and look at each other with dreamy smiles on their faces... and sometimes, they head over into Kasumi-sama's paradise, where they can enjoy the happy life of a family... well, afterlife..."

"Aren't the souls just floating lights?" Ami wondered.

"Not in every paradise," Nandus explained. "In Kasumi's and Minako's domains, they pretty much look like young versions of their mortal selves, while in Michiru's domain, they took on an aquatic appearance. And in Lilith's paradise, where the hunt never ends, they mostly become predatory animals."

"I think I've heard enough for today..." Ami mumbled sleepily. "Can I trust Minako that she won't put me into a bed that has shortly before been used for sexual activities?"

"I will tell Minako-sama of your special request," Mikuru said. "If you would come this way..."


	9. Mikuru Beam

Nabiki, Goddess of Merchants and Thieves, entered her older sister's kitchen.

"Why, Nabiki!" Kasumi smiled. "What a pleasant surprise! Did you come for a reason?"

"Hello, sis," Nabiki said as she sat down in one of the chairs. "And do I need a reason to visit my family?"

"Well, didn't you tell me that you have much work to do?" the Goddess of Hospitality asked.

"Okay, you got me," Nabiki smirked. "I was so busy with bringing the souls of my followers to safety, it actually tired me out. That's when I thought: Kasumi probably has something nice for dinner, and she won't mind if I come for a visit."

"Of course I don't mind," Kasumi said while taking the huge roast pork out of the oven. "Did Haruhi bother you much today?"

"You can say that again," Nabiki grumbled. "Her soul collectors are everywhere and always ready to strike whenever they see a sinner. They just don't understand that certain professions require a bit of...illegality." She smirked. "But that's where I come in. As usual, I have snatched the souls of my followers away before Haruhi could lay her hand on them."

Kasumi frowned. She knew that somebody had to do Nabiki's job, and that not many people could do it as good as her younger sister, but that didn't mean that she had to like it.

"As long as you didn't steal the soul of a murderer..." she said, with a hint of accusation in her voice.

"Hey, I'd never do that!" Nabiki protested. "I may have many thieves and the like, but they all have their own honor."

"If you say so... and where do you plan on hiding the souls?"

Nabiki grinned. "Already done! I've turned them into stars and placed them up in the night sky. Haruhi will never find out that the stars are actually the souls of my loyal believers..."

Just then, a teenaged girl with a long, brown ponytail came down the stairs. "Oh, hi there, Auntie Nabiki!"

Nabiki smirked. "Hey there, kiddo! What are you up to?"

"Oh, I'm gonna meet up with Kor," Kasumi's daughter smiled. "We're gonna hang out for the night..."

Kasumi frowned. "Mokosha, you know that tomorrow is a busy day. And does Haruka know you are meeting her son?"

"Aw, chill out, Mom!" the young godling said. "We wouldn't do anything you and Dad haven't done in your youth." She gave her mother a wink.

Kasumi blushed. "W-well, but... don't you even want to stay for dinner? I made pork roast..."

"Sorry, not tonight, Mom! Kor and I have planned something... special..." she grinned.

"Very well," the Goddess of Hospitality sighed. "Say, where's your father? He's usually not so late for any meal..."

Mokosha frowned. "Haruhi made him work overtime," she said. "I guess he'll come late today."

"Just great," Kasumi sighed. "And here I made an extra serving..."

Nabiki licked her lips. "Just hand it over, sis, I'm starving!"

"Oh, help yourself..." Kasumi muttered and put the plate in front of her sister. "I have to have a word with Haruhi pretty soon... it's not okay to force any of us others to work for her, just because she's our main judge and calls herself 'queen'..."

"Ah, Ranma will be fine," Nabiki shrugged. "He's used to hard work... mmmmm, this is good stuff..." And she took another bite.

"Still, I hope that Dad shows her a good Hiryu Shoten Ha the next time she makes him work overtime... or maybe a good, old-fashioned plume of dragon fire!" Mokosha grinned. "Bye, Auntie! Bye, Mom! See ya in the morning!"

And with those words, the chipper young godling left her mother's domain.

* * *

"Wh-what?" Minako gasped. "Ami's coming to stay here for the night?"

"Yes, Mistress!" one of the little cupids fluttering around her huge tent nodded. "Although, it's actually her former, mortal self..."

"And here I still haven't cleaned up the place after our last meeting..." Minako groaned. "Ami-chan will think I'm the Goddess of Lust, not Love..."

"But Mistress... isn't that one of your aspects, in addition to love?"

"One more wisecrack like that and I'm gonna make you clean the stables... all by yourself!" Minako grumbled.

The tiny angel gulped. "Sorry, Mistress..."

"Now, I guess I'll have to do this the hard way..." Minako sighed as she took a look at the rumpled bedcloths, dirty blankets and torn pillows that were scattered across the floor. She made a dramatic gesture with both arms, and in one second, the whole tent was clean and tidy.

She smirked. "As I always tend to say: It's all in the ankle!"

The cupids sweatdropped. "Um, it's wrist, Mistress, not ankle..."

"What did I just say about wisecracks? Now, get going and find something to eat and drink, while I get ready for our guests..."

She made another gesture, and her regular goddess attire (which was kind of... risky) changed into a more demure robe.

"That's better," she nodded. "I don't want Ami to believe I'm some sort of skank... not that there's anything wrong with that," she grinned. "Now, hurry, hurry, get everything ready!"

"Yes, Mistress!" her servants shouted and flew off, while Minako stepped out of her tent to welcome her visitors.

Just shortly afterwards, a couple of figures came sneaking into the tent, through the back entrance.

"Nobody here," the tall male grinned. "So we can get busy as we like..."

"You and your kinky ideas," the girl giggled. "Just sneaking into the the bedroom of the Goddess of Love... I like it!"

The two godlings met with hungry kisses and fell down on the soft cushions.

* * *

"Ami!" Minako smiled. "Good to see you! Man, has it been 4000 years since we've been this young? I certainly feel younger..."

Ami giggled. "Hello, Minako! How are things?"

"Can't complain!" the blonde goddess grinned. "Nandus already showed you around?"

"Yes, I've seen most of the other paradises, and I've met Rei, Makoto, Haruka and Michiru and... well, me." She yawned. "And now I'm pretty tired..."

"Queen Haruhi suggested that she should sleep in your tent, Lady Minako," Mikuru said. "She always knew that your beds are the most comfortable..."

"And she's right about that, sweetie!" Minako smirked. "There's no place where your sleep will be as deep and relaxing as in my domain... except maybe Hotaru's, but that's reserved for mortal souls." She chuckled.

"Well, looks like you'll be fine with Minako," Nandus said. "If you need anything else, you can ask Mikuru... I will come and pick you up in the morning. For now, I should head back home, if you don't mind..."

"No, go ahead," Ami said. "And have a good night!"

"Likewise," Nandus nodded before he left.

"Now, would you like a snack before going to bed?" Minako asked. "Or maybe a drink? I have the best wine in all of Aurius..."

"Thanks, Minako, but I already had dinner at Makoto's place," Ami turned the offer down. "I just wanna go to bed... can you show me where I'm gonna sleep?"

"Sure thing," Minako said. "If you would come this way..." She entered the tent, and Ami and Mikuru followed her.

As tired as she was, Ami was still amazed at the huge, red and yellow-colored tent they were walking through. It was like a small palace itself, with multiple chambers and corridors. And the furnishing looked so luxurious...

"Here we are," Minako said and opened the flap to the next room. "Your very own domain for the night!"

Her eyes went wide, though, when she saw who was lying entwined in the huge canopy bed. Ami let out a gasp of surprise, while Mikuru began to blush underneath her feathers.

The pair of half-naked godlings stopped what they were doing and looked up at the angry face of a love goddess.

Mokosha gulped. "A... auntie Minako... wh-what a surprise..."

Minako's face slowly turned as red as the wine she wanted to offer to Ami. "Just WHAT in the name of the seven Nether Hells are you doing here?"

Kor grinned sheepishly. "Um... just having a little fun?"

When he moved his legs to the side, the blanket slid off his lower body.

Ami squeaked and quickly covered her eyes.

"C-cover yourself up at once!" Mikuru gasped. "You are insulting our honored guest!"

Kor frowned. "Ah, chill out, you annoying chicken, it's not like we have done anything wrong..."

Mikuru couldn't close her beak upon hearing that impertinence. "Ch-ch-chicken?" she blurted out.

Mokosha quickly covered herself and her boyfriend up. "M-maybe this wasn't quite a good idea..." she muttered.

"You're damn right about this, young lady!" Minako shouted. "Your mother will hear about this... as will your parents, Kor! What were you trying to do? Ruin my image?"

"It's not like there's much to ruin..." Kor grumbled.

Minako turned even redder, if that was possible. "What was that?" she hissed.

"E-enough!" Everyone looked at Mikuru in surprise. The little gryphon had a resolute expression on her face, even though her wings were trembling.

"You have insulted Lady Minako and our guest with your deed. Do you plead guilty?"

Mokosha lowered her head. "I think we went a little overboard," she nodded.

"The heck we did!" Kor protested. He angrily glared at Mikuru. "I'm not gonna let some chicken lecture me! I had a hard day at the barracks, and I just wanted to spend the evening with my girl... is that so wrong?"

"Do you even NEED an answer to that question?" Minako spat. "And put on some pants, will ya?"

Quickly, the two lovers got dressed and left the room. Kor with an angry glare on his face, while Mokosha was clearly embarrassed by what happened.

"Mikuru will tell Haruhi about this, just so you know!" Minako shouted after them.

Kor stared at Mikuru. "Stupid chicken..." he grumbled.

Mikuru felt insulted. She knew she hadn't always been the best servant, but she always had wished for a chance to make it up to her queen. What did she tell her once? 'When someone is pissing you off and doesn't respect your status as my servant, feel free to punish him!'

"I will show Queen Haruhi that I'm a good servant..." Mikuru muttered. She gulped nervously, then she opened her beak.

'In that case, I guess I'll use my secret weapon,' she thought.

She began to stutter: "Mi... mi... MIKURU BEAM!"

A thin, but radiant beam of light came shooting out of her beak, zoomed past the surprised Ami and Minako... and hit Kor's behind.

"OW! DAMN CHICKEN!!"

The little gryphon sighed and sat down on her haunches. She then giggled. That felt... good.


	10. Death Freeze

Death was slowly walking along the corridor. The longer she walked, the longer the walls turned into tall trees, and the floor into a forest floor, which was covered by a thick layer of snow. Icy winds were blowing in her face, but she did not react to them in the least.

This frozen forest was the domain of Lilith, Goddess of Winter and the Hunt. And Death had an important appointment with Lilith tonight.

When she reached a big clearing, she stopped. Underneath her black cowl, an emotionless face was visible. Her slender hands grasped the tall scythe that towered above her robed frame.

"Lady Lilith, I have arrived," she said in a voice that was not more than a whisper.

In a second, a second figure appeared in the middle of the blizzard. It was the goddess Lilith, her appearance as cold as ever, from her icy blue eyes to her blue hair.

"The individual died in the northern tundra this evening," Lilith said in a voice that was almost as monotone as that of Death. "There was nothing I could do."

"Of course not," Death replied. "Nature's laws must be obeyed. The hunter dared to go out during the blizzard, naturally, he froze to death. We can't take any favorites among the mortals."

"Right," Lilith nodded. "Did Goddess Hotaru choose you for this mission?"

"Yes," Death nodded. "She said I was 'made for this job'..."

"Then you must escort him to my paradise," Lilith stated. "He was a follower of my teaching his whole life long."

"Acknowledged," Death nodded.

Just then, a third figure appeared. It was a young, beautiful girl with long hair that was waving in the snow storm, and it was as white as the snow itself. She also was wearing a thin, white robe... and the cold didn't faze her in the least.

"Mother," the godling said. "We must talk."

"Later, daughter," Lilith told her. "I must instruct Death where to find her new customer..."

Ifirn nodded towards the black-robed girl. "Nice to see you, Miss Nagato! How do you do?"

"Please, my designation is 'Death' when I'm on the job," Yuki Nagato said.

"What is it you want, daughter?" the goddess formerly known as Rei Ayanami asked. "Make it short."

"Mother, I've heard about what happened at Lady Rei's forge today... and that they had to restart their current projects because of the cold you radiated. So I'm asking you: Why did you do it?"

"Goddess Rei's carelessness caused a volcano to erupt beneath one of my glaciers in Yeti Land," Lilith explained. "I want to make sure that such an error doesn't happen again."

"But you could have sent her a message, couldn't you?" Ifirn asked her mother with a frown. "Or at least TRY to tone down your aura of cold... you know that a forge can't work without any heat around, right?"

"I know that," Lilith said. "That is the reason why I came in person. Goddess Rei won't likely forget my warning to take her duties more serious... I had to make an impression."

"And you had to ruin all of the cyclopes' works to cause this impression?" Ifirn asked sadly. "And Lady Rei's newest creation yet... do you know how long she worked on it?"

"I don't know," Lilith replied. "I also don't care. Is that all you wished to say, daughter? If yes, there are still duties you have to attend..."

"Duties..." Ifirn murmured while slowly walking back through the snowy woods that were home to her and her mother. "Is that all you care about, mother?"

Lilith looked after her, but didn't say anything else.

"Children are not only important for humans," Death pointed out. "They are also important for gods."

"She is important to me," Lilith proclaimed. "I still won't change my mind because of her opinion." Her eyes flared up in a pale light, and she summoned the image of a cold, barren wasteland into the thoughts of Yuki Nagato, the current Death and employee of Hotaru, the Goddess of Death. "This is where you will find the dead hunter. Hurry, before he will become a restless ghost."

Yuki nodded, turned around and left Lilith behind.

The cold goddess slowly turned around and looked at the place where her daughter had vanished.

The splintering of wood and heavy footsteps heralded the arrival of a large creature. The head of a white dragon appeared next to the goddess.

"She is right, you know, dear?" the High Dragon told his mate. "You have to loosen up a bit."

"Do the storms of winter show mercy?" Lilith asked her husband. "In the middle of a blizzard, an iceberg will never melt. That's how the Goddess of the Hunt must be."

Kaworu turned around his massive head to look at her. "True, but even winter doesn't last forever. When Haruhi's warmer months come, even an iceberg will melt in the warm rays of the sun." He smirked. "Think about it, Rei!"

Wanting to talk to his daughter, the Lord of the Frost Dragons turned to leave.

"You know, you are the only one who still calls me Rei," she softly said. "Because you are the only one I still let get away with it..."

Kaworu grinned. "And why do you do it?"

She frowned. "You know that."

"I know. But I'd still like to hear it from time to time. After all, didn't I give up being an Angel because of you?"

Lilith sighed. "Fine, you win. I love you! There, are you satisfied now?"

Kaworu chuckled. "That didn't sound too convincing..." he said in a mocking voice.

Lilith couldn't help herself: She had to chuckle. All around them, the storm stopped, and it became a bit warmer. After all those millennia, he still was the only one who made her feel like this...

Okay, he and Ifirn.

She hugged his long, scaly neck. "I love you, you silly dragon, you..." she muttered.

* * *

Ami the Goddess was sitting in her library, reading a book. It was a different one this time.

The blue snake who was still lying on the table slithered closer and took a closer look at the title. "The 1001 laws of Kuno?" he chuckled. "Since when do you bother with his silly religion? You do know that half of his rules contradict themselves, do you?"

"I know," Ami-sama smiled. "Still, I often read this book when I want to relax... it's always good for a laugh, don't you agree?"

"That's true!" the snake chuckled, and together, they laughed.

"I'm just glad he's not part of our pantheon," the high voice of their son proclaimed.

"Nandus!" the Snake of Wisdom greeted him. "You're back already?"

"Ami-chan got pretty tired after we've visited Auntie Makoto's place. She's staying in Minako's tent."

His mother laughed. "And there weren't any stains left from Mina-chan's last 'meeting'? I am surprised..."

"Don't tease her all the time, hon!" the snake smirked. "So, she's all by herself during the night?"

Nandus shook his head. "Mikuru-chan is staying with her. Haruhi gave her the order to be her servant."

"Mikuru?" Ami-sama asked. "Oh, that sweet, excitable little gryphon, right? Well, if she takes care of my younger self, then I am relieved."

"Strange, though... why would Haruhi willingly assign one of her gryphons to work for your past self?" the Snake of Wisdom wondered. "After all, she made it clear more than once that time traveling is too dangerous..."

"Poor Mikuru-chan has been forced to stay with her ever since," Ami-sama sighed. "But I don't think it bothered her very much."

Nandus looked down at his father. "Dad, do you have to look like this all the time? It's rather creepy..."

His father laughed. "Well, I AM called the Snake of Wisdom, am I not?"

"Honey, please!" Ami-sama smiled. "You know it freaks him out... I am flattered that you like to take on the shape of my totem, but it's not necessary."

"Oh well, I guess you're right," her husband shrugged. He hovered off the table, floated next to his wife and changed his shape. Limbs were growing, hair appeared on his head, and he grew until a good-looking man stood next to the Goddess of Magic and Science.

"After all, as a snake, I won't be able to do THIS..." And he gave her a soft kiss.

Ami-sama sighed. "Shinji-baka..." she murmured.

Shinji, the High Dragon of Wisdom, smirked. "Hey, that's Asuka's line!"

"Well, it looks like you don't need me any more," Nandus said to his parents sarcastically. "If you need me, I'm meeting up with Marbo at our old perch." He spread his arms and transformed into a colorful bird of paradise.

His mother frowned. "But don't stay up for too long, you hear me?"

"Ah, let them be, honey!" Shinji grinned. "They're young and full of energy... have a good time, son!"

"Thanks, Dad!" the colorful bird shouted back as he flew out of a window.

Ami-sama hugged her husband's neck and gave him another kiss. "You know, I might be over 4000 years old, but I'm also still full of energy..."

Shinji grinned. "Well, time to find out if that's true..."

And together, they teleported into their bedroom.


	11. Ami in Gareth

Loud voices woke Ami from her slumber. She heard shouts, laughter and angry yells, all mixed together to the noise a huge crowd of people was normally making.

Ami rolled around. "No... just a couple of minutes, Mom..."

"Ami-san!" someone next to her said.

Ami winced. "Mikuru... please it's way too early..."

"Ami-san, please open your eyes!"

Ami blinked... and noticed that she wasn't lying in Minako's Tent anymore. She was lying on a wooden bench... standing next to a wide street that was filled with many, many people. Above her, buildings of various sizes were rising... she was in a town. And it looked like it was a pretty big town.

Ami sat up. Next to her, she saw a cute girl with long, reddish hair who looked at her.

"Finally you woke up, Ami-san," she smiled.

Ami recognized that voice. "Mikuru?"

"Yes, it's me! I don't know where we are, but it looks like the gods have sent you on a journey... maybe to find out more about Aurius."

Ami then realized that she wasn't wearing her old clothes anymore... she was clad in a long, grey robe with wide sleeves and a hood that was hanging down her back. "How did I get those clothes?" she murmured.

"Obviously, these were given to you by Ami-sama," Mikuru pointed out. "Regarding from their look, she probably wants you to pose as a mage of the Grey Guild."

"As a MAGE?"

"I think it's just logical, after all, how else are we gonna explain your magical abilities? You might not have received them from the astral energy that Mada's sacrilege has brought to the world, but who will see the difference?"

"And what's the Grey Guild?" Ami wondered.

"There are three major guilds of mages on Aurius," Mikuru explained. "The White Guild of Light - or simply White Mages - want to use magic to smite all the demons and everything evil. The Brotherhood of Wisdom - also known as Black Mages - prefer to use their magic for their own advantages. They mostly have no scruples when using them, although there might be exceptions. And then there is the Grey Guild... they mostly stay neutral and stay out of the conflicts between the white and the black guild. They rather are intent on learning more and more about magic."

"I see..." Ami murmured. "I'm supposed to play the part of a grey mage, so I won't stand out too much... but where are we, Mikuru? Do you know this city?"

"I'm not sure, but there are many people around here... so I'm sure it is one of the big cities of the Middle Realm. Maybe Trallop or Lowang..."

"Okay... and what am I supposed to do again?"

Mikuru smiled. "I'm sure we'll find out in due time. Most of the goddesses like to be a bit cryptic when sending mortal on a mission..."

"And here I thought I could stay up in Alveran and learn everything from my older self, in the peaceful library... stupid me... how could I do that to myself?"

"Ami-san... maybe we should find out where we are. We won't accomplish anything if we stay in one spot."

"I suppose you're right," Ami sighed. "Okay, let's go!"

The gathered what few things they had on themselves and slowly wandered down the street. There were no vehicles anywhere, but all the more people. Ami saw portly ladies and gentlemen clad in silk and linen, with velvet caps and wide dresses, but also people clad in simple clothes, most likely workers or farmhands. Not too few men and women also were just dressed in dirty rags. But one thing about them was the same: They were all happy. They were laughing, dancing on the street, drinking all kinds of alcoholic beverages and danced with each other. Several stands were at the side of the street, where vendors sold food, drinks, and other goods. Citizens were looking out of the windows and threw colorful confetti down on the street.

"Looks like they are celebrating something," Ami assumed.

"Seems like it," Mikuru nodded. "Although I can't remember that today is supposed to be a holiday."

"Look, they are all heading towards the big plaza up ahead," Ami said. "Let's check it out, maybe we can find out more."

"Okay," Mikuru nodded.

There were even more people on the plaza. Long, colorful flags were hanging down from the buildings. Towering over all the other buildings was a majestic temple, with a long and broad stairway leading up to the entrance, that was being flanked by marble pillars. Images of gryphons and the sun were decorating its walls. Soldiers in heavy armor and long lances were guarding the entrance and made sure that only the richest people could enter the temple.

Mikuru gasped. "I... I know that temple! It's... it's Queen Haruhi's most important temple in all of Aurius... the Sun Temple in Gareth! Ami-san, we are in Gareth... the biggest city of Aurius, and the capital of the Middle Realm! I should have recognized it earlier... now if I only knew the reason for this celebration... there is no national holiday in Haruhi-sama's name today. So why are so many people going to the temple?"

Ami tried to see more, but the people were pushing her around, and it was hard to see anything in the middle of this crowd.

"C'mon, Mikuru!" she said. "Let's find some place that's not as crowded. That building over there, with the beer mug on the wooden sign... isn't that a tavern?"

"I think so. Good idea, Ami-san!" the gryphon-turned-human smiled. "Most people will probably stay outside to celebrate. But in there, we can take a little rest, and maybe get something to drink."

"Yeah, and maybe I can get some information..." Ami murmured. Together, they waded through the crowd, until they reached the tavern.

Ami looked up and read the tavern's name. "The Golden Rooster."

While she was looking up at the sign, the door opened and a young man came outside. Ami didn't see him, since she was still looking up. But he wasn't looking where he was going either.

"Oh, my apologies," he said when they ran into each other. "I'm so careless..."

"Oh no, I wasn't watching either," Ami quickly said.

"I shall forgive you, then," the man grinned. "Nothing shall keep our spirits down at the birthday of our beloved princess!"

'So that's why the townspeople are celebrating,' Ami thought. 'It's their princess' birthday.'

The man she had run into was tall and handsome, and curly, chestnut brown hair that was cascading down his shoulders. He was wearing a colorful vest and a brimmed hat with a long, red feather.

He took his hat off and gave Ami a short bow. "Allow me to introduce myself... my name is Nephrite... Nephrite Nabikos from Gareth! At your service!"

Ami gasped. "NEPHRITE??"

* * *

High above Gareth, on a rainbow that was arching across the nearly cloudless sky, a young woman with pink hair and a colorful dress was sitting. She looked down at what was happening on the streets of Gareth and smiled.

She turned her head around when a huge dragon approached her. She waited until it had landed on top of the rainbow and turned into a handsome man.

She smiled. "Hi, Daddy!"

Mamoru smiled back at his daughter. "Hello, Chibiusa! You are watching the results or your work, I see?"

She nodded. "Yup! It was about time, don't you think? I mean, I know Hotaru-chan wanted me to give their souls a long time ago, but Haruhi just didn't want to allow it..."

Mamoru chuckled. "Maybe Kyon managed to convince her..." He sat down next to her. "So, how are my former guardians holding up?"

"They're doing great, Daddy!" the Godddess of Renewal smiled. "They don't remember anything from their former lives, of course... and each one of them has chosen a different goddess as their patron, even Beryl. Nephrite, for example, has chosen Nabiki... Kunzite chose Haruka... and Beryl chose Ami."

"That's good to hear," Mamoru said. "I wonder when Ami plans to tell her younger self that she wants her to guide them in their new life... but say, you didn't even mention Jadeite or Zoisite. How come?"

Chibiusa grimaced. "Well... before I sent them down to their new lives... Zoisite asked me to reincarnate him as an elf."

Mamoru raised his brows. "An elf? That means he doesn't follow any of the goddesses?"

"Of course not," Chibiusa huffed. "Have you ever seen a religious elf? Besides, he clearly stated that he wanted to be a WOMAN in this lifetime."

Her father shrugged. "Well, it's his decision... and what about Jadeite?"

"That's what bothers me the most..." Chibiusa grumbled. "He was reborn as a Novadi."

"So what? That just means he's willing to live in the desert, be a nomad, become a master of survival and..."

"Hello? A NOVADI, Daddy! Do you know which god they praise?"

The High Dragon paled. "Y-you mean... Kuno?"

"Exactly!" Chibiusa grumbled. "Kuno, the 'Messiah of the Desert'. And the worst part is, now that Jadeite's reborn, I can't do anything about it..."

"Well, maybe it's not going to be too bad," Mamoru muttered. "It could be worse... image if he was reincarnated as an orc... or even a goblin."

Chibiusa chuckled. "Now you're being silly, Daddy! I was making sure that he'd be a human. By the way, I told Ranma what we did to Beryl and her former generals."

"So? What did he say?"

The young goddess grinned. "He said he also was keeping a soul back for reincarnation... and he hopes that this person will be reformed, too, just like our 'dark generals'."

"Interesting," Mamoru muttered. "I wonder... what kind of person could that be?"

Chibiusa looked down at Gareth. "I don't know, but it seems like Ami-chan's about to find out..."


	12. The dwarf and the princess

The princess with the long, red hair and the beautiful gown sighed as she looked into the mirror. "Please, father, do I have to do this?"

"You are the princess of Gareth and the heir to the throne of the Middle Realm," her father, Emperor Hal, told her with a smile. He watched with satisfaction how his daughter was prepared for her eighteenth birthday by her chambermaids. "You know, you look so beautiful in that gown... just like your mother."

"Thank you, father," Princess Beryl sighed. "But... I was wishing for, you know... a NORMAL birthday. A birthday with my friends."

"Now, what are you saying?" the emperor asked. "Look outside, hear their cheers: The whole kingdom is celebrating your birthday! And of course, they expect their princess to step in front of them." Turning to his daughter's personal maid, he said: "Make sure she looks more representable than ever. As the future queen, this is a very special day for her."

"Don't you worry, Your Highness, we'll make her look as beautiful as the goddess Minako herself," the maid smiled.

The emperor nodded and turned to leave. "I shall welcome the guests now, honey... make sure to show some manners when you are in front of the baron of Baliho."

"Yes, father..." Beryl murmured.

As soon as her father was gone, she surprised her three maids by throwing off the veil they wanted to place on her head, and stomping on the ground. "That is so unfair! Every other girl in the kingdom can enjoy her birthday, why can't I?"

Two of the maids didn't want to protest to either the emperor or his daughter, so they just looked at the floor in silent embarrassment.

But the princess' handmaiden smirked at her. "Why, I suppose that's the burden of being a princess."

"I don't want this," Beryl groaned. "I want a small, fun party with my closest friends, my fellow students from the academy, and maybe one or two of my royal friends..."

"I'm sorry, princess, but your father is right: As the crown princess, you are someone special and have to be treated as such."

"At the academy, the Masters treated all of us as equals," Beryl whined. "Why can't my father and the other people do the same?"

Her handmaiden gave her a thoughtful look, then she turned to the two other maids. "Leave us alone for a while," she told them.

The other girls looked at each other uncertainly, but as the princess' handmaiden, Akari was their superior. So they bowed and left the room, closing the door behind them.

Akari sat down next to the princess. "Listen, there is a reason why the Masters at your school do that. Inside the orders of the mages, it doesn't matter if you were born as a noble or a peasant... all that matters is that you are the student and have to listen to what your Master or Mistress tells you. But you are not just any magic adept... you are the princess of Gareth. And thus, you should expect that people outside of the academy treat you differently than your classmates or Masters would."

"I hate my life..." Beryl murmured. "I don't want to be a princess..." She sniffed. "Why is life always so much easier for the princesses in the fairy tale books? They never have to worry about anything... recently, I read about a queen who had four handsome generals working for her." She sighed. "And nobody ever told her what she had to do. I wish I could be like that queen..."

"But, unfortunately, real life is rarely like in a fairy tale, princess," Akari said. "And that's why we have to get you ready for the festivities."

Beryl then tapped her finger against her chin. "Akari, I just thought of something. The first day I arrived at school, nobody in class realized that I was the princess of Gareth. Not until the Master read our names, at least. And do you know why?" She smirked. "Because each one of us had to wear the same white apprentice robe. I had no royal garments or any insignias that showed my royal heritage. I was like any other girl in that class. I bet that if I'd put on my robes from school again, nobody of the commoners out there would even recognize me."

Akari snickered. "Yeah, I suppose so. But let's not do that, otherwise it wouldn't be much of a birthday if nobody would recognize the birthday girl..."

"But that's just it, Akari!" Beryl grinned. "That's how I can get away from these boring activities and do whatever I like to do. I put on my mage robes, sneak out of the palace and hide among the crowd. I have fun in town without the risk of anybody recognizing me, and I'll be back in the evening, so father won't be mad! How does that sound?"

Akari stood up. "That sounds absolutely crazy, princess! I don't believe you would even suggest that! And your father? He'd be angry, no question about that! Why, if he found out I helped you with this, he'd surely hang me..."

"Nonsense, Akari!" Beryl grinned. "I can handle father, don't you worry! And besides, he doesn't have to know that you helped me."

"Still, I cannot allow this! I am sorry, princess, but that plan of yours is insane! Forget about it!"

An angry frown then appeared on the princess' face. "Akari, as your princess and the heir of the crown, I COMMAND you to help me sneak out of the palace so I can have some fun in town!"

Akari grimaced and raised her hands up to the sky. "Oh gods, help me! Whatever did I do to deserve this?"

"I'm sure the gods won't mind," Beryl snickered. "Especially not my patron Ami. You know that owe the gift of magic thanks to her daughter Mada's willingness to disobey the rules, don't you?"

"Yes, and look what good it did to her," Akari grumbled. "I'm telling you again, princess, this is not a good idea!"

"Aw, hush!" Beryl huffed. "What can go wrong?"

* * *

Meanwhile, the past self of the goddess of wisdom, accompanied by a gryphon in human form, entered the tavern 'The Golden Rooster'. An inviting scent was coming out of the kitchen, but Ami was hardly in the mood to look forward to her meal. The image of Nephrite just wouldn't leave her mind.

Together with Mikuru, she searched for a quiet corner, but with customers sitting everywhere, they had to sit down at the least occupied table. A diminutive, aged man with a bushy beard was sitting there, an impressive mug of beer in his hand. An equally impressive mace was leaning against his chair.

He lifted his mug when the two girls were approaching him. "Greetings, youngsters! What a nice day to celebrate a princess' birthday, eh? Come and sit down with me!"

"Thank you, sir!" Mikuru smiled nervously. "You are too kind."

"Hey, my father - may Rei rest his soul - always used to tell me: Never chase off young ladies, or your beard will be infested with fleas." He laughed heartily, while Ami wondered if she should take the little man seriously or not.

"Just kidding, lass!" he grinned. "Say, can I pay for a round of beer? Or wait, you are humans, then maybe you aren't old enough to drink, aren't you?"

"Humans?" Ami wondered. "Of course we are humans, what else would we be?"

Mikuru winced. "Ami-san... I believe this gentleman is a dwarf."

"A... a dwarf?" Ami wondered.

The dwarf grinned. "Yup, and an Anvil Dwarf on top of that. And everyone knows that Anvil Dwarfs are the best fighters, drinkers and lovers in all of Aurius!"

That last comment made Ami blink and scoot away from the dwarf with her chair.

That made him laugh again. "Don't you worry, my dear! I'm not saying that you are a pair of fine lasses - for humans - but I really prefer the beauties of my own race. Now please don't take this wrong, but don't you human females ever eat? You're all so skinny! I'll take the stout, strong body of a dwarven lady any time!"

Ami and Mikuru exchanged a quick glance and decided not to address that subject any further. Instead, Ami said: "M-may we introduce ourselves? My name is A..."

She stopped herself just in time. It was obvious that people would look at her strangely if she told them that she had the same name as one of their goddesses... and if she told them her real origin, she would be locked up in the local loony bin in no time.

"Mercury!" she finally blurted out. "My name's Mercury, and this is my friend Mikuru."

"Mercury, eh? Now that's a pretty name. Strange, but pretty! I am Happosai, son of Happorox, at your service!"

Ami blinked. Then she smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Happosai!"

She really was glad to have met such a nice man, even if he was a dwarf.

She couldn't know that, deep within, Happosai was still the same as before his reincarnation. Only that the only women he had perverted thoughts of were dwarven women...

In the end, Ami and Mikuru ordered a glass of water each, as well as a small plate of bread, cheese and fruit. When the waitress wanted to see some money, Ami reached into the bag that was attached to the belt of her robe. She had looked inside just before they had entered the tavern and found out that it was filled with golden and silver coins.

But when she reached for the bag, she suddenly noticed that it wasn't there anymore.

"Mikuru!" she shouted. "Our money... it's gone!"

"What?" Mikuru gasped. "Oh no, how could that have happened?"

The waitress frowned. "So you mean to tell me that you can't pay? Well, too bad! Looks like you have to work off your debt in the kitchen."

"Now let's not be too hasty," Happosai smiled and gave the waitress some money from his own pouch. "Here, that should be enough."

Suspiciously, the waitress looked at the money. Seeing that it was real, she just put it into her pocket and left the table without saying another word.

"Th-thank you so much, Happosai-san," Mikuru stuttered. "I don't know how this could have happened..."

"The man we met at the entrance..." Ami then grumbled. "Nephrite... he must have stolen it."

"Aye, there are many pickpockets, rogues and thieves on the job on such a day," Happosai nodded. "Such a huge crowd always is like an invitation to their kind. But I doubt you have any chance to catch up with him. If he's smart, he's already at the other end of town."

"Dangit!" Ami sighed. 'I should have known,' she then thought. 'Reincarnated or not, Nephrite's still the same...'

Happosai cleared his throat. "So then... are you girls from around here or did you just come for a visit because of the festivities?"

"Um... we're not from around here..." Ami said.

"Ah, I see," the dwarf nodded. "A travelling mage and her friend, eh? Yep, I instantly recognized your robes. Although many of my tribesmen don't like your kind, I can't say that all mages are inherently evil."

"Wh-why would they be?" Ami wondered.

Happosai sighed. "Ah, that's the old story of us dwarves... ya know, while we also believe in the twelve goddesses, there's really one true goddess for us, and that's the goddess Rei!" He smiled. "She created our race, you know? She made our bodies from stone and appointed us to protect her treasures of the earth: gold, silver, gemstones, you name it..."

Ami frowned. Rei had created a race of dwarves? The next time she was back in Alveran, she would have to ask if that really was true...

"But how does that concern your people's dislike of anything magical?" Ami asked.

"Well, y'know, our Earth Mother Rei had an old and ancient enemy... and that was the Golden Dragon God Herb. He and his brood always wanted to rob her of all the treasure she hoarded deep within the earth, and that's where we come in." He grinned. "We defend the mountains and the gold from the greedy claws of the evil dragons and their lizard kin, and we kill them whenever we spot them!" He frowned. "Take my advice, girl: Whenever you see a dragon, run! It will take quite a while until even a mage like you can stand up to the ancient magic of a dragon. But see, that is the problem: According to our beliefs, magic is a thing of evil. Our old enemies have used it long before the first humans even wandered the land, and we have always fought to suppress it. So it's no wonder that most of my kin are slightly prejudiced against it, aye?"

"But... but Herb is already dead!" Mikuru blurted out.

When Happosai raised his bushy eyebrows, she blushed and stuttered: "Uh, th-that's what I heard... I mean, I have heard a similar story like that..."

"Well, it's true that the last time Herb tried to rise to power, High Dragon Ranma - may Rei bless his fiery heart - fought his archnemesis and tore his body to pieces. Still..." The dwarf lowered his voice to a mysterious whisper. "It's said that Herb's carbuncle, which is his brain, has fallen down into the endless vastness of the Khom Desert... where it is hidden until now. And, as Azulongmon from the Ancient Dragons says: As long as Herb's carbuncle is not shattered, the danger of the Golden Dragon is not banned."

He then leaned back in his chair and took a swig of his mug. "And that's why us dwarves are always prepared to battle." He patted the shaft of his mace. "I don't know any dragon who could stand up against the Anything Goes battle arts of dragon-hunting!" He grinned.


	13. Elven Rights

A tall figure, sitting high upon a white mare, approached the city. He was wrapped in a white cloak, completely uncharacteristic for the Middle Kingdom. Unusual was also the turban he wore upon his head, and the curved scimitar he was carrying under his belt. Everyone who had heard of his tribe before realized instantly: This was one of the desert nomads, the Novadis.

When his horse approached the city gates, it was becoming nervous. It was scenting the masses of humans waiting behind those gates.

"I think I better dismount, Sand Dasher," the desert rider told his mount. "I know you're not used to having this many humans around, girl... but we need to do this."

He got off her saddle and took her by the reins. When they reached the gates, the city guards stopped him.

"You here for the princess' birthday as well, stranger?" the corporal asked him.

The Novadi nodded. "Yes... yes, I am."

"Okay then, we've got a couple of questions first. Don't worry, we ask those all guests coming from abroad, no matter if they are coming from the north or the south. First of all, what's your name?"

"Jadeite ibn Mustafa."

"Very well, and for how long do you plan on staying in Gareth?"

"Only for two days."

The corporal nodded. "Thanks for your cooperation, sir! Enjoy your stay!" And he signalled him to proceed.

Jadeite entered the huge city of Gareth. But the princess' birthday was the least thing on his mind. No, he had come to the capital of the Middle Kingdom for another reason.

He had come here... for revenge.

* * *

In the meantime, Happosai the dwarf had offered to lead Ami and Mikuru through town. Right now, they were standing in the middle of the crowded marketplace.

"You've got to try these mushrooms," the Anvil Dwarf said when they were coming past a certain stand. "All of them dwarven-grown in the tunnels of our ancient home, Xorlosh! If there's a meal us dwarves can prepare, it's mushrooms. I mean, what else are we supposed to grow in our murky caverns?" He laughed. "Of course, the only thing missing is a nice, dwarven ale..."

"Um... I don't really drink any alcohol," Ami apologized.

"I... I've heard that the Meadow Elves cultivate a really good grape juice," Mikuru spoke up.

Happosai was shocked. "What? You'd renounce a fine, dwarven brewery and instead resort to the swill of the elves? Besides, I'm not even sure if they trade those grapes anymore..."

Just then, they heard loud voices coming from another, nearby stand which was selling fruit. The vendor, a tall and bulky man, had grabbed the collar of a young woman and angrily shook her around.

Happosai sighed. "Oh boy... speak of the devil... it's one of those accursed long-ears..."

The elven woman was very slender, had cat-like eyes and elongated ears. She was dressed in fine leather clothes that were very tight fitting, and wooden pearls were braided in her long hair. A short bow and a quiver were strapped to her back.

"You dirty little thief!" the fruit vendor yelled. "I know you elves are all the same! Give me back those apples right now! I've seen you take them, so don't deny it!"

"B-but I d-don't understand..." the elf stammered. "I thought... I thought they were for everyone..."

"Oh, she's trying to be funny..." the bulky man growled and raised his fist. "Let me show you what we do to thieves in Gareth..."

Ami had seen enough. "Hey, I think that's quite enough!"

The vendor turned to face her. "Get a move on, girl, this doesn't concern you. Everything's fine here."

"Well, doesn't look like that to me. Don't you see you're scaring the poor girl to death? Even if she stole something, you can't just bash in her face like that."

"But I didn't steal them," the elf girl pleaded. "Honestly, I really thought they were for everyone."

"So, you thought I would give away my wares for free? I always knew it, you elves are crazy." The vendor shook his jingling pouch. "Listen to that? That's what we need to buy food, you got that? Hard, cold cash! What do you think why the goddess Nabiki invented money?"

"I... I've never heard of money before..." the elf said apologetically. "I've never been in a human town before, either... so, you trade these shiny things for food?" She blinked. "What a weird concept..."

The man's face turned red with fury. "Are you making fun of me? Just wait, I'm gonna call for the guard, and when they turn you over to the sentinels of Haruhi..."

"Wh-who?" the elven woman stuttered as she was shaken around by her tormentor.

"So, you're saying you're not just a thief, but a heathen, too?"

"Please, I don't really know much about those gods you pray to..."

"Are you insane? Everyone knows they created our world!"

"But how can you be sure of that?"

"Enough with the heresy! I'll hand you over to the sentinels myself!"

"Please, don't!" Mikuru shouted.

"Now what the heck is going on here?" a loud voice bellowed. A tall man, clad in the fine armor of the city guards, made his way through the crowd. He already had his hand on his sword. "Explain yourselves, right now!"

"Sorry, Captain!" the fruit vendor said. "But I've just caught this elven thief, she wanted to steal my apples... and then she started to say heretic things about the goddesses..."

The captain narrowed his eyes. "Citizen, do you know the general law of elven rights within human towns and settlements?"

That question took the salesman by surprise. "Of course I don't, sir!" he replied. "I'm just a simple vendor. But, you see, we can't just ignore these little..."

"Law of Elven Rights, paragraph thirteen: 'Whenever you catch an elf during a deed of theft, explain to him/her the wrongness of said deed and give him/her the chance of making it undone, so neither of both parties are aggrieved and he/she may be on his/her way...' This law was made public at least a couple of decades ago, dear sir! Elves don't have the same laws as we do, so it's just natural that they don't know that taking these apples would be theft. They don't even know money. They hunt what they need or collect it from the woods. And what they can't hunt or gather, they trade. So unhand this young woman at once!"

The vendor paled. "But s-sir, what she said about the goddess..."

An even sterner look appeared on the captain's face. "Paragraph forty-two: No elf has to be forced under the religion of the Twelve Goddesses. As the dwarves are allowed to follow their own teachings of the goddess Rei, and the Nivese the cult of their wolf gods, the elves are allowed to follow their own beliefs. Now let her go before I have to arrest you!"

The salesman paled even more and let go of the elven maiden as if she was a hot potato.

With a deep frown on his face, the captain threw a couple of coins to the vendor. "Here, that should be enough for your apples... are you all right, miss?"

"I... I'm fine, really," the elf girl stuttered. She blushed as she gazed upon the handsome soldier's face. "Those two girls already wanted to help me... but I still thank you for your help."

"You really should inform yourself more about our customs before coming to a big city like Gareth," the captain smiled. "I apologize for this man's behavior. If anything like that happens again, feel free to contact the city guard. And... remember that most things on these stands aren't free." He gave her a wink.

She blushed. "Th-thanks, I'll remember it..."

The captain turned to Ami and Mikuru. "I thank you as well, ladies! Good to see the mages of the grey order are as always willing to help others. I take it you have become because of the festivities, right?"

"Oh, it... it was my pleasure," Ami said. "And yes, we have. My name is... Mercury, and this is my friend Mikuru."

"Well met! I am Captain Kunzite of the city guard. And what is your name, Miss Elf?" He smirked.

"Oh, um, my name is... I'm Zoisite Sundew," she stuttered.

"Well then, enjoy your stay in Gareth! Now excuse me, I must return to my duties." He nodded and waded back through the crowd.

"Wow," Ami said. "Good to know that the city guard is providing law and order around here... Miss Sundew, are you feeling all right?"

The elven girl swooned. "He... he was so handsome..."

Happosai rolled his eyes. "Elves... go figure..." he grumbled.

"Oh, I didn't see YOU defending her," Ami grumbled. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I prefer to stay out of trouble..." the dwarf muttered and crossed his arms. "And those elves always cause more trouble than they're worth..."


End file.
